Management of Complications of Endonasal Cranial Base Surgery

Endoscopic endonasal surgery of the cranial base is maximally invasive surgery and poses many of the same risks as traditional skull base approaches. Preliminary data demonstrates that serious complications can be avoided through a strong foundation in endoscopic skull base anatomy, adherence to principles of surgical dissection, and a dedicated surgical team with proper training and experience. Surgical complications may be categorized by severity, location, organ system or tissue type, and time period. Advances in reconstruction have decreased the incidence of CSF leaks to less than 5%. Major complications such as vascular injury are rare and can be managed using endoscopic techniques. Nasal morbidity is acceptable.Snyderman C.H., Pant H., Gardner P.A., Carrau R.L., Prevedello D.M., Kassam A.B

The learning curve for endonasal surgery of the cranial base: a systematic approach to training

Proper training in endoscopic endonasal surgery of the cranial base is essential to avoid unnecessary morbidity and mortality. An incremental program for the training of skull base surgeons is described that accounts for complex skull base anatomy, technical difficulty, potential risk of neural and vascular injury, extent of intradural dissection, and type of pathology. There are multiple pathways for training in endoscopic skull base surgery. The most important feature of a training program is the building of team surgical skills.Carl H. Snyderman, Harshita Pant, Amin B. Kassam, Ricardo L. Carrau, Daniel M. Prevedello, Paul A. Gardne

Efficacy and safety of endoscopic transsphenoidal resection for prolactinoma: a retrospective multicenter case-series

Background: Endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery (ETSS) for prolactinoma is reserved for dopamine agonist (DA) resistance, intolerance, or apoplexy. High remission (overall 67%, microprolactinoma up to 90%), low recurrence (5-20%) rates highlighted that surgery might be first-line treatment.Aims: To report on outcomes of ETSS in a cohort of prolactinomas.Methods: Multicenter retrospective cohort of 137 prolactinoma patients (age 38.2 +/- 13.7 years; 61.3% female, median follow-up 28.0 [15.0-55.5] months) operated between 2010-2019 with histopathological confirmation.Results: Median preoperative prolactin levels were 166 (98-837 mu g/L; males 996 [159-2145 mu g/L] vs. females 129 [84-223 mu g/L], p <0.001). 56 (40.9%) microprolactinomas, 69 (50.4%) macroprolactinomas, and 7 (5.1%) giant prolactinomas were included, whereas no adenoma was detected in 5 (3.6%) patients. Males had larger tumors (macroprolactinomas: 38, 71.7%) vs. 31 (36.9%), p <0.001; giant prolactinomas: 7 (13.2%) vs. 0 (0.0%), (p <0.001). Prolactinomas were graded as KNOSP-3 in 15 (11.5%), and KNOSP-4 in 20 (15.3%) patients. Primary indication was DA intolerance (59, 43.1%); males 14 (26.4%) vs. females 45 (53.6%), p = 0.006. Long-term remission (i.e., DA-free prolactin level <1xULN) was achieved in 87 (63.5%) patients, being higher in intended complete resection (69/92 [75.0%]), and lower in males (25 [47.2%] vs. 62 females [73.8%], p = 0.002). Transient DI (n = 29, 21.2%) was the most frequent complication.Conclusions: Despite high proportions of macroprolactinoma and KNOSP 3-4, long-term remission rates were 63.5% overall, and 83.3% in microprolactinoma patients. Males had less favorable remission rate compared to females. These findings highlight that ETSS may be a safe and efficacious treatment to manage prolactinoma.(c) 2023 Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Metabolic health: pathophysiological trajectories and therap

Assessment of Factors Associated with Internal Carotid Injury in Expanded Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery

Importance: Injury to the internal carotid artery (ICA) during endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery does not typically occur as an isolated circumstance but often is the result of multiple factors. Objective: To assess the factors associated with ICA injury in an effort to reduce its occurrence. Design, Setting, and Participants: This quality improvement study used a multicenter root cause analysis of ICA injuries sustained during endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery performed at 11 tertiary care centers across 4 continents (North America, South America, Europe, and Asia) from January 1, 1993, to December 31, 2018. A fishbone model was built to facilitate the root cause analysis. Patients who underwent an expanded endoscopic endonasal approach that carried a substantial potential risk of an ICA injury were included in the analysis. A questionnaire was completed by surgeons at the centers to assess relevant human, patient, process, technique, instrument, and environmental factors associated with the injury. Main Outcomes and Measures: Root cause analysis of demographic, human, patient, process, technique, instrument, and environmental factors as well as mortality and morbidity data. Results: Twenty-eight cases of ICA injury occurred during 7160 expanded endoscopic endonasal approach procedures (incidence of 0.4%). The mean age of the patients was 49 years, with a female to male predominance ratio of 1.8:1 (18 women to 10 men). Anatomical (23 [82%]), pathological (15 [54%]), and surgical resection (26 [93%]) factors were most frequently reported. The surgeon's mental or physical well-being was reported as inadequate in 4 cases (14%). Suboptimal imaging was reported in 6 cases (21%). The surgeon's experience level was not associated with ICA injury. The ICA injury was associated with use of powered or sharp instruments in 20 cases (71%), and use of new instruments or technology in 7 cases (25%). Two patients (7%) died in the operating room, and 3 (11%) were alive with neurological deficits. Overall, patient-related factors were the most frequently reported risk factors (in 27 of 28 cases [96%]). Factors associated with ICA injury catalyzed a list of preventive recommendations. Conclusions and Relevance: This study found that human factors were associated with intraoperative ICA injuries; however, they were usually accompanied by other deficiencies. These findings suggest that identifying risk factors is crucial for preventing such injuries. Preoperative planning and minimizing the potential for ICA injury also appear to be essential.