How is neuroendoscopy used in neurosurgery?

       In recent years, with the continuous progress of technology, equipment and instruments, neuroendoscopic techniques have become an important branch of minimally invasive neurosurgical techniques, playing an increasingly important role in the treatment of many common neurosurgical diseases. At present, neuroendoscopic techniques are mainly applied to the following diseases: 1. obstructive hydrocephalus Obstructive hydrocephalus is a common disease in neurosurgery, and ventriculo-abdominal shunt was mostly used in the past, although it was widely used clinically with satisfactory results, complications such as infection, shunt blockage and excessive shunt should not be ignored. With the development of neuroendoscopic techniques, neuroendoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) has become the main method for the treatment of obstructive hydrocephalus. This technique is closer to the physiological state of cerebrospinal fluid circulation and avoids the implantation of shunts and their associated complications. Other procedures that apply neuroendoscopy in the treatment of hydrocephalus include catheteroplasty, hyaline septal fistula, and choroid plexus cautery. Neuroendoscopy can also be used in ventriculo-abdominal shunts supplemented by endoscopic placement of shunts under direct vision. In case of shunt dysfunction after ventriculo-abdominal shunt, neuroendoscopy can also be used to adjust or remove the shunt at the ventricular end, reducing the possibility of intraventricular hemorrhage.  2.Intracranial arachnoid cyst: Commonly used surgical methods include cyst-abdominal shunt, open microsurgery and endoscopic surgery. Neuroendoscopic surgery can be performed under direct vision with “partial resection of cyst wall + cyst-cerebral pool fistulotomy”. During the operation, a small incision with a small bone flap is used to perform a major resection of the cyst wall and a cyst wall fistula, which allows the cyst cavity to communicate with the brain pool or subarachnoid space. Compared with other surgeries, it has the advantages of shorter operation time and less trauma; it can also avoid the possible complications of shunt surgery, such as infection, permanent implantation of foreign body and blockage of shunt tube.  3.Pituitary tumor: endoscopic-assisted or full endoscopic microsurgical pituitary adenoma resection via single nostril-pterygoid sinus is accepted and mastered by more and more neurosurgeons. Neuroendoscopic surgery has the advantages of good visual field, less trauma and fewer complications. Although neuroendoscopic surgery for pituitary adenoma via single nostril-pterygoid sinus is a new technique, through systematic training, strict mastering of indications, and delicate operation during surgery to avoid accidents as much as possible, with the accumulation of experience and improvement of surgical skills, neuroendoscopic surgery for pituitary adenoma can become a minimally invasive, safe and effective method.  4.Other diseases: such as cerebral hemorrhage, spinal cord spinal disease, intracerebroventricular cysticercosis, cerebrospinal fluid nasal leakage, ventriculitis, brain abscess, optic nerve canal decompression, facial spasm and trigeminal neuralgia microvascular decompression