The Center For Cranial Base Surgery: Meet Our Support Staff-A Crucial Connection For Patients

Minimally Invasive Cranial Base Surgery

Minimally invasive (endoscopic and endonasal) skull base surgery enhances tumor removal and speeds recovery. Technical advances in endoscope design and capability, along with specialized computer surgical navigation equipment, have further heightened our ability to successfully remove tumors in deep-seated areas of the skull. These design enhancements permit access into hard-to-reach areas through the creation of small, precise openings. These openings can be made through small incisions in the scalp (endoscopic skull base surgery), or through the nostrils (endonasal skull base surgery). As a result of these innovations, patients experience shorter stays in the hospital, and their recovery time is faster. Our surgeons are at the forefront in the development of both endoscopic and endonasal minimally invasive skull base surgery techniques.

Dr. Costantino first began using minimally invasive techniques for the removal of skull base lesions over half a decade ago. The following tumors and disorders have been successfully treated using endoscopic techniques at The Center for Cranial Base Surgery.
Adenoid cystic carcinomas Cerebrospinal fluid fistulas Chondrosarcomas Chordomas Clival mucoceles Craniopharyngiomas Esthesioneuroblastomas Fungal sinusitis with intracranial extensions Hemangiopericytomas Inverted papillomas Intraorbital tumors	Juvenile angiofibromas Lymphomas Nasal and intracranial osteomas Meningoceles Meningoencephaloceles Odontoid resections Optic nerve compression Recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinomas Osteogenic sarcomas Pituitary tumors Trigeminal neuromas

In addition to minimally invasive Cranial Base Surgery, our surgeons, physicians and support staff are continually leveraging their skills and experience to apply the most advanced services and treatment options to benefit our patients. Advanced guidance and navigation systems Patients benefit from our use of an advanced LED (light emitting diode) navigational system that precisely locates tumors and lesions at the base of the skull and deep within the brain. The system enables surgeons to control what they see through their operating instruments. Surgical Innovations Preserve Nerves and Blood Vessels Our surgical team has developed and refined new techniques to preserve nerves and blood vessels--especially when removing deep-seated tumors. We have also developed new methods to reconstruct cranial nerves and restore their function by grafting nerves from other sites. Advancements in carotid artery reconstruction enable us to apply vein and arterial grafts to reduce the patient's potential for stroke Multiple Procedures During a Single Stay The team strives to maximize each patient's hospital stay by performing all stages of a procedure during one hospitalization, unless the patient's safety or wellbeing determine otherwise. This facilitates the patient's rehabilitation after surgery and return to everyday life.