What raises the risk of problems after glioblastoma surgery
Original title: Determinants of surgical morbidity following glioblastoma resection: an 839-patient contemporary neurosurgical cohort.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
Doctors looked back at surgeries already done in people, so this is not a new treatment.
The short version
In this study, doing more surgery did not lead to more problems afterward.
What was studied. Doctors looked back at records for 839 adults who had glioblastoma: A glioma that is given grade 4. Grade 4 is the highest grade there is. The tumor grows fast. Treatment usually starts soon after it is found. It often means surgery, and then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary surgery. All the surgeries were done at one hospital between 2000 and 2024.
What they found. Problems after surgery were not common. Higher risk was tied to older age and to frailty. It was also tied to poor health before surgery, bigger tumors, tumors in more than one lobe, and seizures. A second surgery, awake surgery, and removing more tumor were not tied to more problems.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Your health before surgery may matter more than how much surgery you have. Surgeons may be able to remove more tumor without adding risk.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean surgery is safe for everyone. It only looks back at records from one hospital, so it cannot prove what caused what. It is not a new treatment, and it is not a cure. Your own risk depends on your health and your tumor. Ask your surgeon what it means for you.
Source: PubMed, November 3, 2026 · Read the original
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