What is skull base surgery?
Skull base surgery is surgery performed by a team of skull base surgeons and may include head and neck surgeons, neurosurgeons, plastic surgeons, and ophthalmologists (eye surgeons). Skull base surgery can be divided into the surgical approach, resection (removal of tumor), and reconstruction. There are many ways to approach the skull base. In the past, the favored approach was to approach the skull base from above (transcranial approach) and from below (transfacial approach) at the same time. The transcranial approach consists of a scalp incision followed by a craniotomy (removing part of the skull). The brain is then lifted up to reach the skull base. The bones of the facial skeleton can be removed temporarily to increase the exposure. The transfacial approach consists of incisions on the face or inside the mouth that provide access to the sinus cavities and skull base from below. Working from both sides of the skull base, the surgeons can then remove tumors that are at the skull bas
