Long Term Follow up of complications in 43 Cases after Skull Base Approach.

Lee, Dong Chan; Chang, Suk Choo

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons 1999;26(6):1138-1145.
Published online November 1, 1999.

Long Term Follow up of complications in 43 Cases after Skull Base Approach.

Dong Chan Lee, Suk Choo Chang

Abstract

Skull base surgery has developed through the evolution of imaging, anatomic research, surgical approach and reconstructive techiques. The basic disciplines of approaching skull base lesions are to provide direct vision, minimize brain retraction, allow excellent exposure and minimal blood loss. Although many advantages listed above are reported, objective long-term follow up results about post-operative complications of this procedures were not introduced. This study was designed to review the complications of skull base approach that we experienced 43 cases by a team approach with neurosurgery-supraorbital rim osteotomy, orbitozygomatic osteotomy, orbitozygom aticoglen-oidotomy, orbitozygomaticoglenoidocondylotomy, and transfrontonasomaxillary osteotomy-through objective evalutation criteria. The result of this study demonstrated that the type of complications were consisted with perioperative infection (5 cases), subdural empyema (1 case), CSF leakage(1 case), hematoma (1 case), meningitis (3 cases), ophthalmic nerve injury (1 case),facial nerve injury (2 cases), T-M joint problem ( 2 cases), & enophthalmos ( 2cases). In conclusion, after performing the different skull base approaches, we analyzed several complications of the above procedures. We analyzed with the purpose of preventing complications in the next skull base approach.