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Last Updated: Jan 10, 2023
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Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery - Things You Must Know About It!

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Dr. Anjan Jyoti BhuyanENT Specialist • 20 Years Exp.MS - ENT
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There are a number of parts in the human body, which cannot be easily accessed. In times of disease or other complications, it becomes difficult for doctors and other medical practitioners to access those areas of the body in order to facilitate proper treatment. This not only leads to aggravation of the disease and further complications, but also prolongs the agony. However, technological advancements have made it possible for surgeries and other medical interventions to become easier.

Surgery for the skull base using endoscopy has become the chosen path these days. The reasons for these are as follows:

  1. The intrusion is minimum.
  2. There are no ugly scars or stitch marks.
  3. The patient feels the least amount of pain as compared to any other method of operation.
  4. It is likely to be far more effective.

The people who choose to go for this sort of an operation are most likely to be suffering with problems with regard to:

  1. Skull
  2. Spinal cord

Since bones and cartilages makeup a major part of the skull structure, the medical practitioner who will be entrusted with the job of taking care of the complexity should be well-versed with the history or cause of the development of the following:

  1. Cysts that have developed over the years
  2. Problems which a person may be born with
  3. Cancerous swellings which may aggravate as the years go by
  4. Tumours which may not be that harmful as long as they are taken care of swiftly
  5. Fluid leaks which may make their way to other parts of the body

Different skull bade surgeries are done through nasal endoscope by an ENT surgeon. For example pituitary tumor surgery, repair of brain fluid leakage surgery, etc.​ Usually, below given are two types of endoscopic skull base surgery, which may be required for a person:

  1. The minimally invasive type, which does not cause much of an opening
  2. Open surgery where an incision has to be made in the facial area or somewhere in the vicinity of the complication

Nonetheless, both these measures are equally beneficial and effective as far as outcomes are concerned. Patients who come up with such complaints usually have symptoms like inability to hear properly, numbness, headache and dizziness, and facial pain. These are some of the preliminary signs when a person should get a check up immediately. Also, chemotherapy and radiation therapy can be considered to be some of the options that can be used in conjunction with the endoscopy method of skull base surgery. That way, the chances of a positive outcome will be higher. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can ask a free question.