scholarly journals A checklist for endonasal transsphenoidal anterior skull base surgery

2016 ◽  
Vol 124 (6) ◽  
pp. 1634-1639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward R. Laws ◽  
Judith M. Wong ◽  
Timothy R. Smith ◽  
Kenneth de los Reyes ◽  
Linda S. Aglio ◽  
...  

OBJECT Approximately 250 million surgical procedures are performed annually worldwide, and data suggest that major complications occur in 3%–17% of them. Many of these complications can be classified as avoidable, and previous studies have demonstrated that preoperative checklists improve operating room teamwork and decrease complication rates. Although the authors’ institution has instituted a general preoperative “time-out” designed to streamline communication, flatten vertical authority gradients, and decrease procedural errors, there is no specific checklist for transnasal transsphenoidal anterior skull base surgery, with or without endoscopy. Such minimally invasive cranial surgery uses a completely different conceptual approach, set-up, instrumentation, and operative procedure. Therefore, it can be associated with different types of complications as compared with open cranial surgery. The authors hypothesized that a detailed, procedure-specific, preoperative checklist would be useful to reduce errors, improve outcomes, decrease delays, and maximize both teambuilding and operational efficiency. Thus, the object of this study was to develop such a checklist for endonasal transsphenoidal anterior skull base surgery. METHODS An expert panel was convened that consisted of all members of the typical surgical team for transsphenoidal endoscopic cases: neurosurgeons, anesthesiologists, circulating nurses, scrub technicians, surgical operations managers, and technical assistants. Beginning with a general checklist, procedure-specific items were added and categorized into 4 pauses: Anesthesia Pause, Surgical Pause, Equipment Pause, and Closure Pause. RESULTS The final endonasal transsphenoidal anterior skull base surgery checklist is composed of the following 4 pauses. The Anesthesia Pause consists of patient identification, diagnosis, pertinent laboratory studies, medications, surgical preparation, patient positioning, intravenous/arterial access, fluid management, monitoring, and other special considerations (e.g., Valsalva, jugular compression, lumbar drain, and so on). The Surgical Pause is composed of personnel introductions, planned procedural elements, estimation of duration of surgery, anticipated blood loss and fluid management, imaging, specimen collection, and questions of a surgical nature. The Equipment Pause assures proper function and availability of the microscope, endoscope, cameras and recorders, guidance systems, special instruments, ultrasonic microdoppler, microdebrider, drills, and other adjunctive supplies (e.g., Avitene, cotton balls, nasal packs, and so on). The Closure Pause is dedicated to issues of immediate postoperative patient disposition, orders, and management. CONCLUSIONS Surgical complications are a considerable cause of death and disability worldwide. Checklists have been shown to be an effective tool for reducing preventable errors surrounding surgery and decreasing associated complications. Although general checklists are already in place in most institutions, a specific checklist for endonasal transsphenoidal anterior skull base surgery was developed to help safeguard patients, improve outcomes, and enhance teambuilding.

2018 ◽  
Vol 80 (06) ◽  
pp. 586-592
Author(s):  
Uma Patnaik ◽  
Smriti Panda ◽  
Alok Thakar

Objective This study was aimed to classify and study complications of surgery of the cranial base, primarily from an otorhinolaryngology perspective. Design This study was designed with consecutive cohort of skull base surgical cases. Setting Tertiary referral academic center. Participants Patients having skull-base surgery at a otorhinolaryngology based skull-base unit, from 2002 to 2015. Main Outcome Measures Enumeration of complications is the main outcome of this study. Surgical procedures, categorized for complexity as per a unified system, are applicable to endoscopic and open procedures. Complications were categorized as per the British Association of Otolaryngologists coding of surgical complications. Complication classified as major if life-threatening, causing permanent disability, or compromising the result of surgery. Results A total of 342 patients (n = 342) were operated; 13 patients' records were excluded due to < 6 months posttreatment follow-up. The study group constituted 204 anterior skull-base (endoscopic, 120; open/external, 84) and 125 lateral skull-base procedures. Complication rates noted to increase in both groups with increasing complexity of surgical intervention. Anterior skull-base surgery (total complications, 11%; major, 3%; death, 0.5%) noted to have significantly less surgical complications than lateral skull-base surgery (total complications, 33%; major, 15%; death, 1.6%; p < 0.001). Among the anterior procedures no significant difference noted among endoscopic and external approaches when compared across similar surgical complexity. Conclusion Despite improvement in surgical and perioperative care, the overall major complication rate in a contemporary otolaryngology led, primarily extradural, skull-base practice is noted at 8%. Perioperative mortality, though rare, was encountered in 1%. A standard method for categorization of surgical complexity and the grade of complications as reported here is recommended.


Skull Base ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (03) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ameet Singh ◽  
Gurston Nyquist ◽  
Vijay Anand ◽  
Theodore Schwartz

Author(s):  
Rajan P. Dang ◽  
Abhinav R. Ettyreddy ◽  
Zain Rizvi ◽  
Michelle Doering ◽  
Angela L. Mazul ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives Given the limitations in the available literature, the precise indications, techniques, and outcomes of anterior skull base free flap reconstruction remain uncertain. The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of published literature and evaluate indications, methods, and complications for anterior skull base free flap reconstruction. Methods A systematic review of the literature was performed using a set of search criteria to identify patients who underwent free flap reconstruction of the anterior skull base. Articles were reviewed for inclusion based on relevance, with the primary outcome being surgical complications. Results After a comprehensive search, 406 articles were obtained and 16 articles were ultimately found to be relevant to this review—79 patients undergoing free flap reconstruction were identified. Overall complication rates were 17.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 16.6–33.1%) for major complications and 19.0% (95% CI: 17.8–35.5%) for minor complications. Conclusion Microvascular reconstruction of the anterior skull base is feasible with high reliability reported in the literature.


Author(s):  
Axel Wolf ◽  
Alexandros Andrianakis ◽  
Peter Valentin Tomazic ◽  
Michael Mokry ◽  
Georg Clarici ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective To evaluate the frequency, type and indications of nasal turbinate (NT) resection during endoscopic, anterior skull base surgery and to analyze factors that may have an impact on the need of NT removal. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, 306 subjects (150 males and 156 females, mean age 55.4 ± 15.3 years) who underwent multidisciplinary, transnasal, endoscopic tumor surgery of the anterior skull base using 4-handed techniques between 2011 and 2019 at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University of Graz, were included. Results In the majority of interventions (n = 281/306; 91.8%), all NT were preserved. Significant factors influencing the need of NT resections turned out to be type of endoscopic approach (p < 0.001; V = 0.304), sagittal (p = 0.003; d = 0.481) and transversal (p = 0.017; d = 0.533) tumor diameter, tumor type (p < 0.001; V = 0.355) and tumor location (p < 0.001; V = 0.324). Conclusions NT can be preserved in the majority of patients undergoing tumor resection in anterior, transnasal, skullbase surgery and routine resection of NT should be avoided. Variables that have an impact on the need of NT resections are types of endoscopic approaches, sagittal and transversal tumor extension and tumor type. These factors should be considered in planning of surgery and preoperative information of patients.


Skull Base ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 7 (01) ◽  
pp. 39-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keiichi Ichimura ◽  
Ken-ichi Nibu ◽  
Toshiyoshi Tanaka ◽  
Hideki Takekoshi ◽  
Tomio Sasaki ◽  
...  

2005 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Kaplan ◽  
Nancy J. Fischbein ◽  
Griffith R. Harsh

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aakash D. Shah ◽  
Aksha Parray ◽  
Chris B. Choi ◽  
Christina H. Fang ◽  
Jean A. Eloy

2008 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ercole Galassi ◽  
Ernesto Pasquini ◽  
Giorgio Frank ◽  
Gianluca Marucci

The advent and widespread development of endonasal endoscopic techniques have recently expanded the frontiers of skull base surgery. The reduced invasiveness, wider and adjustable visualization of the operative field, and lack of postoperative cosmetic defects are well-known advantages of the endonasal endoscopic approaches compared with traditional surgical exposures both in adults and in children. The need to avoid disruption of facial growth centers and permanent tooth roots represents a further special consideration in favor of these endoscopic techniques in children. The authors report on a case of solitary myofibroma involving the ethmoid, mesial orbits, and anterior skull base with intracranial intradural expansion in a 17-month-old girl. The occurrence of such proliferative disease along the skull base is exceedingly rare. The tumor was successfully excised via an endoscopy-assisted cranionasal approach in which a transcranial microsurgical exposure was combined with endonasal endoscopic access to ensure a radical resection and optimize skull base reconstruction. To the authors' knowledge, the patient in this case is the youngest reported patient in the literature who has undergone treatment with this surgical strategy. The outcome in this patient underscores the feasibility and safety of endoscopic endonasal surgery even in toddlers and early childhood.


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