Endoscopic skull base surgery Endoscopic skull base surgery is a minimally invasive technique of brain surgery,that enables surgeon access to inaccessible areas of the brain where certain types of tumors and abnormalities may develop.
The skull is made of many bones and cartilages, the base of skull is formed by bones of the eye socket, roof of the nasal cavity, some sinuses and the bones that surround the inner ear.
It allows for the removal of cancerous and non cancerous tumors and abnormalities underside the brain, and the top of the spinal column as these areas are difficult to see and reach, without the need for a large incision in the skull; instead, tumors are removed through the mouth, nose, or a small opening above the eyebrow.Traditionally the tumors in the base of the skull were removed through the bony skull, which required large skull and facial incisions, bone flaps, and brain retraction to reach these tumors and remove them through a network of blood vessels and nerves.
An endoscope is like a small camera that looks at the pathology or problem.
The surgery is performed while watching the screen and the actual target size is magnified over 100 times.The aim is to get to the target pathology or problem while minimizing the trauma to the surrounding tissues.
The endoscopic skull base surgery is performed using an endoscope, which is a small, rigid tube with a camera and a small set of surgical instruments attached.