How Endoscopic Skull Surgery is the Best Method for Reaching Brain Tumor Through the Nose

Every year, modern advancement in brain tumor surgery is getting better and better. With endoscopic method of brain surgery, a surgeon can easily reach the deepest parts of the brain, without any loss of blood or cracking open the skull.

This blog aims to dive deep into endoscopic skull base surgery – a minimally invasive procedure, how it works and how surgeons are using this method to save lives daily.

Why Skull Incision Isn’t Always the Solution

A woman in her thirties visited Dr. Raghvendra Ramdasi – a highly experienced skull base neurosurgeon Mumbai. Her medical history showed that she was admitted to a hospital three times in a year due to meningitis. Meningitis is a condition where the protective membranes surrounding the spinal cord and brain known as meninges are inflamed.

Each time, she recovered with antibiotics, however the condition kept recurring. Each time, the same question remained unanswered: why was a healthy young woman repeatedly developing a life-threatening infection?

After multiple tests and diagnosis, Dr. Ramdasi realised that the answer wasn’t an autoimmune disorder or a hidden infection. It was a tiny defect in the bone of her skull. The base of her skull was leaking CSF (Cerebrospinal fluid) – a fluid that cushions the brain. It was leaking through her nose, creating an open pathway for bacteria to enter and inflame her meninges.

After successful diagnosis, Dr. Ramdasi used endoscopic method to fix this leak. He inserted an endoscope through her nostril and sealed the defect without making a single incision on her head. The woman recovered within days and her meningitis never returned.

What Is Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery?

Endoscopic skull base surgery is a minimally invasive surgery procedure that allows surgeons to treat complex conditions like tumors, cysts, CSF leaks and more, that are located at the skull base, through the natural corridor of the nose.

Instead of opening the skull, surgeons use nostrils to insert an endoscopic pipe that is equipped with surgery tools. Because the pipe is thin, it can reach the deepest parts of the brain without affecting other organs around it. This approach has proven to result in less pain, no visible scar, reduced brain manipulation and a quicker recovery compared to traditional brain surgery.

Why Skull base Is So Challenging?

The skull base is one of the deepest and hidden structures in the body as it contains some of the most sensitive yet crucial nerves and organs like the pituitary gland, optic nerves, carotid arteries, cranial nerves and brainstem amongst others.

Even miniscule abnormalities or problems in this region can affect vision, hormone production, facial sensation or neurological functions that keep the body stable and healthy. Because this area is so sensitive, even a small surgical mistake can ruin a patient’s life. Hence, modern science has found an alternative to traditional surgery, in the form of endoscopic surgery to avoid this problem.

Symptoms That Shouldn’t be Ignored

 Skull base disorders can often be mistaken as common conditions because their symptoms seem minor at first. Depending on the underlying problem, symptoms may include:

·         Recurrent meningitis

·         Double vision or vision loss

·         Watery drip from one side of the nose

·         Persistent headaches

·         Hormonal overgrowth and disturbances like fatigue, infertility or irregular periods

·         Recurrent nose bleeds or blocked nose from one side

·         Facial numbness, sensitivity or weakness of facial muscles

With such common conditions, it’s difficult for doctors to specifically check for brain tumor issues. Hence, it’s always a good idea to get deeper diagnosis from the best neurologist in mira  road and prevent major health problems from arising, especially if one is facing the above symptoms simultaneously.

Some brain conditions that are typically treated through the nose are as follows:

·         Pituitary tumours

·         Craniopharyngiomas

·         Selected skull base meningiomas

·         Rathke's cleft cysts

·         Chordomas and chondrosarcomas

·         Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks

·         Certain sinonasal tumours extending into the skull base

Not all tumors are suitable for minimally evasive procedures. Some conditions require open brain surgery like lesions that extend far to the sides or surrounding major blood vessels. That’s why it’s very important to prevent such conditions at an early stage through precise diagnosis.

How Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery Is Performed?

Endoscopic skull base surgery is typically performed by a skilled neurosurgeon and an ENT skull base surgeon. They work together to solve cases.

This surgery requires specialised instruments that can penetrate the nostrils and reach the skull base. The surgeons remove tumors or repair defects while viewing magnified images on a monitor. This image-based visualisation helps them navigate the entire skull base structure and they can easily find and repair/remove the parts that are affecting the brain, without messing up any other nerves or organs surrounding it.

Once treatment is complete, a patient typically recovers within a few weeks (timeline can vary based on their health and medical history). During the first few weeks of recovery, temporary nasal congestion and crusting are common. Patients are often advised to avoid lifting heavy things, straining neck and nose blowing while the repairs heal. Many patients recover enough to get back to desk-based office work within few weeks.

Long-term follow up usually requires regular MRI scans, monitoring symptoms and other indicators like hormone levels, vision assessment and so on.

Skull base endoscopic surgery is one of the best procedures today for brain tumor removal. However, it’s a surgery that still deals with one of the most complicated organs in the human body – the brain. Therefore, it’s best to consult best skull base neurosurgeons in Mumbai at an early stage to protect brain health. You can rely on Dr. Raghvendra Ramdasi, one of the best neurosurgeons in Mumbai for this. Skilled at skull base surgeries, Dr. Ramdasi is known for his expertise in performing endoscopic procedures to solve case. With thousands of successful surgeries under his belt, he has actively worked to save lives in his 20+ years of operation. With his experience, you can be rest assured that you are in good hands.