Skull Base Neurosurgery

Skull base surgery is a specialized type of surgery that focuses on treating conditions at the base of the skull. This includes areas like the undersurface of the brain and important nerves and vessels that exit the brain. The challenge in skull base surgery is reaching these areas without having to cut through the skull and retract the brain. The goal is to get to and operate on these difficult areas with as little impact to the brain as possible. Skull base surgery is almost always performed using a team approach. An Otolaryngologist typically works with a Neurosurgeon to access these areas through the nose, eyelid, forehead, or above and behind the ear.

Diseases of the skull base can include both benign and malignant processes. Common skull base disorders approached through the nose include pituitary tumors, sinus tumors, and orbital tumors (located near the eye). Cerebrospinal fluid leaks can also be repaired through the nostrils using an endoscopic approach. Common skull base disorders treated from around the ear include acoustic neuroma, petrous apex lesions, aneurysms, and meningiomas.

When a patient does have a skull base condition, it is important to seek out a skull base team that is experienced with skull base surgery and the management of these conditions. At Saint Alphonsus, we have a dedicated skull base team made up of physicians from several different specialties to treat a variety of skull base diseases. Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center has also been designated as a North American Skull Base Society Multidisciplinary Team of Distinction.

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Designations and Accreditations

Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center has been designated as a North American Skull Base Society Multidisciplinary Team of Distinction.

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