International forum of allergy & rhinology
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Int Forum Allergy Rhinol · Jan 2012
Comparative StudyComparison of traditional 2-dimensional endoscopic pituitary surgery with new 3-dimensional endoscopic technology: intraoperative and early postoperative factors.
Traditionally, endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery is performed using 2-dimensional (2D) endoscopes, which lack depth of field and contribute to image distortion. Recently, a new generation of 3D endoscopes has been introduced for improved endoscopic depth perception. Little data exist comparing surgical outcomes with 2D vs 3D endoscopic systems. This study examines perioperative and postoperative factors in patients undergoing pituitary surgery using 2D vs 3D endoscopes. The objective of this work was to determine the differences in perioperative and postoperative factors in patients undergoing pituitary surgery using 2D vs 3D endoscopy. ⋯ 3D endoscopy affords the surgeon improved depth of field and stereoscopic vision. Our data demonstrate that 3D endoscopy does not result in significantly different perioperative or postoperative outcomes vs 2D endoscopic surgery.
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Surgical access to the cavernous sinus (CS) has proven a challenge for the skull base surgeon. Traditional approaches include the transcranial route, which broaches the lateral wall of the CS and has a high risk of cranial nerve weakness. A medial approach is more logical but the microscopic transsphenoidal approach has a restricted view. The endoscopic endonasal approach provides an alternative medial approach with improved visualization to that provided with the microscope. We describe our results using this approach for resection of CS tumors. ⋯ The endoscopic endonasal approach is a safe and effective option for tumor resection in the CS using a medial to lateral route for selected cases. Morbidity is low and a variety of reconstructive options are available.