SKULL BASE SURGERY

Skull base surgery is performed to remove or repair an abnormality or tumour on the skull base. The skull base is the bony surface beneath the brain which also forms the eye sockets, the roof of the nasal cavity, some of the sinuses, and the bones that surround the inner ear. The skull base also has an opening known as the foramen magnum, which allows the spinal cord and various blood vessels and nerves to pass through to the brain.

WHEN IS SKULL BASE SURGERY NECESSARY?

Skull base surgery is performed for the treatment of a variety of abnormalities and tumours. These include tumours such as meningioma, chordoma or craniopharyngioma, growths caused by infections, cysts that develop from birth, trigeminal neuralgia, cerebrospinal fluid fistulas or cerebral aneurysms. 

HOW IS SKULL BASE SURGERY DONE?

Following consultation with Dr Profyris and his team in Johannesburg, South Africa a detailed plan that is customised to your specific tumour will be made.   Various imaging technologies such as CT, MRI, MRA/MRV and/or angiography will be used to meticulously plan your surgical approach.  Although the skull base was historically difficult to access, advancement in our understanding of anatomy and the use of medical technology has led to the development of eloquent surgical approaches to address pathology in this region. In Johannesburg, Dr Profyris and his team have developed particular expertise in the keyhole and minimally invasive procedures available to treat abnormalities and tumours of the skull base.