Endonasal surgery of the ventral skull base--endoscopic transcranial surgery.

Skull base surgery is evolving from traditional transfacial and transcranial approaches to the endoscopic endonasal approach, a less intrusive corridor for accessing the ventral skull base. This technique eliminates facial scars, expedites recovery, and obviates brain retraction. The goals of surgical excision, whether palliative or curative, are identical: an approach that is less disruptive to normal tissues. By exploiting the sinonasal corridor, the entire ventral skull base may be accessed to successfully treat benign and malignant lesions. The expanding limits of endoscopic skull base surgery have been accompanied by commensurate innovations in reconstructive techniques that are reliable and have been shown to limit postoperative complications. This article describes the basis for this approach and provides the latest outcome data supporting the current state of the art for endoscopic skull base surgery.