Endoscopic Endonasal Skull-Base Surgery

Endoscopic endonasal skull-base surgery is a minimally invasive surgical technique performed through the nose in order to remove brain tumors, pituitary tumors, and other lesions at the base of the skull. Using neuronavigation (a computer-assisted GPS-like device), an endoscopic camera less than 5 millimeters in size along with surgical equipment is inserted through the nose, allowing the surgeon to navigate to the tumor safely and remove it without any large incisions. The camera allows for greater detail when working within the small corridors of the brain and skull base. The high-definition lighting ensures there is minimal disturbance to other parts of the brain while maximizing the surgeon’s ability to visualize the area that needs to be removed or repaired. This procedure often takes less than four hours to complete and patients typically go home in one to three days. Patients who have this procedure done typically have shorter anesthesia times, improved outcomes, faster recovery, less pain, and no scars compared to traditional open brain surgery.

Watch an animiated video about this procedure on the Florida Hospital Orlando YouTube Channel.

To learn more about endoscopic endonasal skull-base surgery, call our care coordinator at (407) 303-7944 or contact us online.