Background: In skull base surgery, zygomaticectomy is an effective method to increase surgical exposure and reduce brain retraction. However, the traditional zygomaticectomy methods are complicated and more invasive.
Objective: To improve the procedure of zygomaticectomy, we introduced a modified technique to harvest integrated zygomatic arch-temporal bone flap.
Subjects and methods: A modified technique to section the zygomatic arch integrated with the temporal bone flap was described in the present work. This technique was applied in eight skull base lesion patients. The improved surgical angle was measured using Osirix software.
Results: The surgical exposure is satisfied and no temporal lobe contusion or severe complications occurred in the patients. An increased surgical angle was obtained by zygomatic arch removing, with a mean value of 13.31°.
Conclusions: This integrated zygomatic arch-temporal bone flap technique achieved increased exposure, decreased temporal lobe retraction, and minimal bone loss, leading to better cosmetics and functional reconstructions.
Keywords: Infratemporal fossa approach; skull base; subtemporal approach; transzygomatic approach; zygomatic arch.