Which surgery removes more brain blood clots? One method cleared over 90%.

When a blood vessel bursts inside the brain, creating a dangerous pool of blood called an intraparenchymal hemorrhage, surgeons race to remove it. But which surgical approach gets more of the clot out? A team looked back at 199 patients treated between 2019 and 2023. They compared two methods: neuroendoscopic surgery (using a small camera) and stereotactic aspiration (a more targeted suction technique). The key finding was striking. The camera-guided surgery cleared a median of over 90% of the blood clot, while the suction method cleared a median of about 22%. Patients who had the more complete removal also showed slightly better alertness scores one day after surgery. It's important to understand what this study can and cannot tell us. This was a look back at existing medical records, not a controlled trial, so we can't say for sure that one technique causes better outcomes. The researchers measured how much blood was cleared and short-term neurological changes. These are early signs, but they don't directly tell us if patients ultimately walk, talk, or live independently again months or years later. The study also took place at a single hospital, so the results might not be the same everywhere.