Skull Base Surgery

Skull-base surgery is a specialized type of surgery that focuses on treating conditions at the base of the skull. Skull base surgery may be done to remove both noncancerous and cancerous growths and abnormalities on the underside of the brain, the skull base, or the top few vertebrae of the spinal column. Because this is such a difficult area to see and reach, skull base surgery may be done by a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure, an endoscopic-assisted micro-neurosurgical procedure. In this procedure, the surgeon inserts instruments through the natural openings in the skull—the nose or mouth—or by making a small hole just above the eyebrow. This type of surgery requires a team of specialists that may include neurosurgeons, ENT (ear, nose, and throat) surgeons, maxillofacial surgeons, and radiologists.