The skull base is not just a simple platform for the brain but an anatomically intricate area with an array of connections necessary to the body's essential functions.
Traditionally, a tumor or aneurysm in this area was either inoperable or involved significant risk. Now, new surgical techniques -- including procedures done through the patient's eye orbit, ear and nose -- are greatly improving patient outcomes. However, the skills necessary for it require intensive training.
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center recently organized a medical education course called "Surgical Approaches to the Skull Base," to train neurosurgeons and ENT surgeons in the subspecialty. Notably, course participants used a custom 3-D visualization tool to learn about the complex surgical techniques. There were 30 attendees representing 10 countries across five continents. It was the third such course organized by the Department of Neurological Surgery at Weill Cornell.
"With rapidly emerging advances in imaging, instrumentation and techniques, we are now able to access the skull base in ways never before thought possible," said Dr. Philip E. Stieg, course director, chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College and neurosurgeon-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. "Mastering these is an integral part of providing patients with the best available treatment options and outcomes."