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Trepanation (also known as trepanning, trephination, trephining or burr hole) is a form of surgery in which a hole is drilled or scraped into the skull, thus exposing the dura mater. It addresses health problems that relate to intracranial diseases, e.g. for evacuation of intracranial epidural and subdural hematomas.

Trepanation has been carried out for both medical reasons and mystical practices for a long time: Evidence of trepanation has been found in pre-historic human remains from Neolithic times onwards, per cave paintings indicating that people believed the practice would cure epileptic seizures and mental disorders. Furthermore, Hippocrates gave specific directions on the procedure from its evolution through the Greek age.

See also

• Migraine
• Trephinning in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica

External links

• WHO surgical instructions on burr holes
• Skeptic's Dictionary entry about Trepanation
• International Trepanation Advocacy Group
• Diary of a trepannee, circa 2000
• A humorous essay that deals with Trepanation
• Morbid Fixation on Trepanning

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