Title: Endoscopic skull base surgery a brief
1Endoscopic skull base surgerya brief
- Dr.Mohammed Tariq FRCS
- Associate professor ENt Unit II SIMS
- Services hospital,Lahore.
2History
- The earliest approaches to brain surgery were at
the skull base. - 1870 .. Francesco Durante was the first to
remove an olfactory groove meningioma from the
skull base in a 35-year-old woman who presented
with proptosis, loss of smell, and memory
impairment - 1879 ..William Macewen contributed further
3Subsequent innovations
- Sir Victor Horsley (18571916) sectioned the
posterior root of the trigeminal nerve for pain
relief, - Sir Charles Ballance (18561936) reported one of
the earliest cases of acoustic tumor removal, - Fedor Krause (18571937) from Germany, Thierry de
Martel (18751940) from France, and others made
major contributions to skull base surgery
4feasibility
- With this approach it is possible to expose
the intradural cranial base, from the olfactory
groove to the odontoid process of C2. -
- The most common surgery related problems are
related to the prevention of postoperative CSF
leakage and, in cases involving the lower skull
base, the usual issues of stability of the
craniovertebral junction. - Nevertheless, the potential benefits of such
an approach, which allows exposure of the
surgical area with no skin incision or
neurovascular retraction, cannot be overestimated.
5The midline skull base
- is an anatomical area that extends from the
anterior limit of the cranial fossa down to the
anterior border of the foramen magnum. - Resection of lesions involving this area requires
a variety of innovative skull base approaches. - These include anterior, anterolateral, and
posterolateral routes, performed either alone or
in combination, and resection via these routes
often requires extensive neurovascular
manipulation.
6The major potential advantage
- it provides a direct anatomical route to the
lesion without traversing any major neurovascular
structures, obviating brain retraction. - Many tumors grow in a medialtolateral direction,
displacing structures laterally as they expand,
creating natural corridors for their resection
via an anteromedial approach.
7Potential disadvantages
- the relatively restricted working space
- the danger of an inadequate dural repair with
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage .These
approaches often require a large opening of the
dura mater over the tuberculum sellae and
posterior planum sphenoidale, or retroclival
space. In addition, they typically involve large
intraoperative CSF leaks, which necessitate
precise and effective dural closure - potential for meningitis
8accuracy and safety
- the constant improvements in diagnostic imaging
techniques and the increasing use of image
guidance systems during endoscopic endonasal
procedures has provided increasing accuracy and
safety for this approach, allowing improved,
constant surgical orientation in an anatomically
complex area.
9Endoscopic trajectories
- different areas of the midline skull base
exposed through the endoscopic endonasal
approach. - to the olfactory groove
- to the sella turcica and planum sphenoidale
- to the clivus
- to the craniovertebral junction and foramen
magnum.
10Currently approach provides
- the definitive treatment of choice for most
pituitary adenomas, - craniopharyngiomas and meningiomas of the sellar
region. - The elegant minimally invasive transnasal
endoscopic approach to the sella turcica and the
anterior skull base has added a new dimension of
versatility to pituitary surgery and can be
adapted to many lesions in the region.
11removal of pituitary tumors
- The refinement of minimally invasive endoscopic
techniques has resulted in 'pure' endoscopic
endonasal trans-sphenoidal surgery, which is a
relatively new approach for the removal of
pituitary tumors.
12removal of pituitary tumors The technique
- wide anterior sphenoidotomy
- detachment of the septum from the sphenoid face
avoiding the use of a trans-sphenoidal retractor
and any intraoral or nasal incisions. - Straight and angled endoscopes are used
throughout the procedure to provide a wide view
of the sella and are manipulated by a co-surgeon.
13an improvement over pituitary microsurgery
- decreased post-operative morbidities
- a shortened postoperative stay
- it eliminates the need for packing
- providing an opportunity to monitor the sella
after surgery. - It incorporates image-guided surgery, with the
fusion of computer tomography and magnetic
resonance imaging - employs new and dedicated instrumentation.
14Future advancements
- in intraoperative imaging,
- cranial base reconstruction, and
- robotics will make this technique even more
successful
15unique reconstructive challenges
- The creation of large defects of the bone and
dura endoscopically presents unique
reconstructive challenges. - A layered reconstruction of the dura with inlay
and onlay fascial grafts covered with fat grafts
is an effective technique for repair. - An intranasal balloon catheter is used to provide
counterpressure in the early phase of healing and
- a lumbar spinal drain is a useful adjunct in
patients at increased risk of a cerebrospinal
fluid leak. - Vascularized flaps may be necessary in some
patients receiving radiation therapy. - Continued advances in surgical technology and the
introduction of new biomaterials will facilitate
the reconstruction of skull base defects
following surgery.
16Endoscopic experience
- with the repair of small cranial base defects
following - trauma,
- sinus surgery, and
- spontaneous CSF leaks (meningoencephaloceles)
-
- has demonstrated a high rate of successful
repair using a variety of techniques.
17Endoscopic experience
- 1 Success does not appear to be dependent on the
type of reconstructive material, repair
technique, or use of lumbar spinal drainage. - 2 A special population of patients that appear to
be at increased risk of recurrent CSF leak are
those presenting with spontaneous CSF leaks. - 3 These patients are characteristically obese,
middle-aged females and measurement of CSF
pressures following repair often confirms occult
hydrocephalus. Despite initial success, such
patients remain at risk for recurrent CSF leaks
months to years following repair
18vascularized tissue flaps
- Some populations of patients may require
reconstruction with vascularized tissue flaps due
to the volume of the defect or the lack of
vascularized tissue (prior irradiation). - Options include a pedicled pericranial scalp
flap, temporoparietal fascial flap, or
microvascular free flap
19- Dural defect following endoscopic craniofacial
resection of a neuroendocrine carcinoma of the
anterior cranial base. -
20- A synthetic dural substitute (DuraGen) is placed
intradurally over the surface of the exposed
brain so that the dural edges overlap the inlay
graft. -
21- The first fascial graft (Alloderm) is sutured to
the dural margins. -
22- Nitinol U-clips are used to anchor the fascial
graft to prevent migration or displacement by CSF.
23- Fat grafts cover the fascia and are in contact
with the surrounding bone. -
24- A Foley balloon catheter crosses the nasopharynx
posterior to the nasal septum, prior to inflation
with saline. The surface of the fat graft is
covered with Surgicel to form an adherent crust.
25