What type of surgeon should operate on the skull base?
Traditionally, neurosurgeons treated conditions that arose within the skull, and otolaryngologists (ear, nose, and throat doctors or head and neck surgeons) treated conditions that arose in the head outside the skull. In other words, the skull base divided these two worlds, and tumors and other diseases that affected the skull base or deep facial tissues were difficult to reach. With the collaboration between surgical specialties—otolaryngologists-head and neck surgeons and neurosurgeons working together as skull base surgeons—these deep areas can now be safely approached.
