SKULL BASE SURGERY
Skull base surgery is a highly specialized, minimally invasive surgical technique for evaluating, diagnosing and treating benign or cancerous growths located on the underside of the brain, the base of the skull and the upper vertebrae of the spinal column.
These are some of the growths and conditions that may be treated by skull base surgery:
• Cysts that develop from Birth
• Growths caused by Infections
• Pituitary Tumors
• Meningiomas, Noncancerous Tumors that grow from the meninges, the tissue that covers the brain and lies between the brain and skull
• Chordomas, a slow-growing bone tumor most often found at the base of the skull
• Trigeminal neuralgia, an intense pain on one side of the face
• Craniopharyngiomas, growths that occur near the pituitary gland
• Craniosynostosis, a condition in which the bones of the skull of an infant close too early, causing problems with brain growth and the shape of the skull
• Cerebrospinal fluid fistulas
• Cerebral aneurysm, a weak, often bulging area in a blood vessel in the brain
• Arteriovenous malformations, arteries and veins that are abnormally connected to one another
Types of Skull Base Surgery
Skull base surgery can be done in two main ways. Although the preferred method is endoscopic, open surgery is also an option, depending on the type of growth that needs to be removed and its location:
• Endoscopic or Minimally Invasive Skull Base Surgery
This type of surgery usually does not require a large incision. A surgeon may make a small opening inside the nose to allow a neurosurgeon to remove a growth through a thin lighted tube called an endoscope. An MRI is a type of picture taken of the skull base using magnets and a computer and may be done by a radiology specialist while the surgical specialists are operating to help them make sure all of the growth has been removed.
• Traditional or Open Skull Base Surgery
This type of surgery may require incisions in the facial area and in the skull. Parts of bone may need to be removed so that the growth can be reached and removed. An operating room microscope is often used for this type of surgery.
For more information please consult our highly trained, one of the best Skull base surgeon in Mumbai, India.