Technological and Ideological Innovations in Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery

Charles A Riley; Christian P Soneru; Abtin Tabaee; Ashutosh Kacker; Vijay K Anand; Theodore H Schwartz

doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2019.01.120

Technological and Ideological Innovations in Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery

World Neurosurg. 2019 Apr:124:513-521. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2019.01.120. Epub 2019 Jan 29.

Authors

Charles A Riley¹, Christian P Soneru¹, Abtin Tabaee¹, Ashutosh Kacker¹, Vijay K Anand¹, Theodore H Schwartz²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA.
² Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA. Electronic address: schwarh@med.cornell.edu.

PMID: 30708082
DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2019.01.120

Abstract

Background: Endoscopic skull base surgery has evolved over the last several decades due to technological advances and operative techniques. Several innovations that are not yet mainstream may have significant impact on the future of endoscopic skull base surgery.

Methods: Current literature pertaining to innovations in endoscopic skull base surgery was retrieved using PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar.

Results: Several recent innovations may play an influential role in the advancement of endoscopic skull base surgery, including fluorescent dyes such as indocyanine green fluorescence, fluorescein, and 5-aminolevulinic acid, 3-dimensional endoscopes, robotic surgery, and intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging.

Conclusions: Several technologies are under current investigation with the hope to improve future outcomes in endoscopic skull base surgery. Additional research and evolution are necessary and will require intense scrutiny before becoming standard of care.

Keywords: 3-Dimensional endoscope; 5-Aminolevulinic acid; Endoscopic skull base surgery; Fluorescein; Fluorescent dyes; High-definition endoscope; Indocyanine green; Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging; Quality of life.