Skull Base Tumors

Skull base tumors are tumors located at the base of the skull. They may be malignant or benign. The treatment comprises surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy either alone or in combination. Their position makes it challenging to access them for removal through surgery. The two surgical approaches exercised are:

• Open surgery involves eliminating the tumor through an incision in the skull bone and facial area. Following the tumor excision, the soft tissue and bone are restructured for the best possible appearance
• Endoscopy is a minimally invasive surgical methodology with the benefit of a shorter hospital stay, fewer complications and faster recovery. This involves the precise visualization of the tumor by means of an endoscope. The endoscope is a pen-sized thin device enclosed with a video camera that delivers pictures to a TV monitor for the surgeon to view. Together the endoscope and the microsurgical tools are inserted through two or more minor apertures in the skull (neuroendoscopy) or through the nose and sinus (sinonasal endoscopy)