Craniectomy surgical procedure 3D animation

This medical animation shows how a craniectomy is performed to remove a part of your skull in order to relieve pressure in that area when your brain swells. This surgical procedure is usually done after a traumatic brain injury, but also to treat medical conditions that cause your brain to swell or bleed that can be caused by an aneurysm, brain tumor or other cancer. A craniectomy decreases intracranial pressure (ICP), intracranial hypertension (ICHT), or heavy bleeding (also called hemorrhaging) inside your skull. If left untreated, pressure or bleeding can compress your brain and push it down onto the brain stem. This can be fatal or cause permanent brain damage. Brain surgery is a very serious procedure under any circumstances, but a craniectomy is done when there is an immediate risk to the brain and neurological function due to severe brain injury or stroke. For more information about custom 3D animation depicting surgery, please visit