Minimally invasive supraorbital approach for resection of saddle area tumor

Since 1994, I have been using the supraorbital “lockhole” minimally invasive approach to treat saddle area tumors, including pituitary tumors, saddle node meningiomas, and craniopharyngiomas. Through the follow-up analysis of the extent of tumor resection and recurrence rate, I found that the efficacy of the supraorbital foraminal minimally invasive approach was not significantly different from that of other approaches; however, the average hospital stay of patients who received the supraorbital foraminal minimally invasive approach was shorter, the surgical trauma was less, and the complications were fewer. Therefore, it is considered that the supraorbital “foramen ovale” minimally invasive approach for resection of saddle area tumor is convenient, fast, less traumatic, and has satisfactory efficacy. The eyebrows can be shaved on the same day of surgery, or not, without shaving the head. 2. Cut the skin along the arch of the eyebrow in the direction of skin texture to the periosteum, and the length of the incision should not be out of the eyebrow. In order not to damage the supraorbital nerve, the medial side of the incision should be from the lateral side of the nerve. 3. Drill a hole at the right frontal corner of the upper edge of the brow arch with a microdrill, and use this hole as the basis for milling down a bone flap of approximately 3*50px in size. After the flap is opened, the inner edge of the bone plate above the orbital rim is ground away to enlarge the angle of the window and obtain the maximum exposure to the saddle area. 4. After cranial closure, the subcutaneous tissue is routinely sutured and the wound is closed with absorbable fine sutures intradermally, so that the sutures are not visible on the wound surface. Advantages: 1.No need to shave the head. Shaving the head has a greater psychological burden on the patient, especially female patients. Foreign literature reports that because of the wide range of shaved hair, postoperative scar exposure, insurance companies even have to provide a large number of configuration hair cover costs; 2, short surgical incision, small bone window, short cranial opening time, less invalid exposure of brain tissue, less damage, less chance of infection and complications, conducive to rehabilitation and wound healing; 3, despite the small incision cranial opening, surgical field exposure is still satisfactory, can guarantee the smooth operation; 4, the frontotemporal muscle The blood supply and nerve nutrition of frontotemporal muscles can be protected, and the short surgical incision is consistent with the skin texture and hidden in the arch of the eyebrow, with a small bone window, which is not a big obstacle to the patient’s postoperative appearance. The postoperative scar can be concealed by eyebrow tattoo. Conclusion: Minimally invasive approach via supraorbital foramen to remove lesions in the saddle area is a relatively direct and less invasive approach; its surgical results are reliable. Due to the small trauma of this approach, it is beneficial to the patient’s postoperative physical recovery. However, when choosing the supraorbital foramen minimally invasive approach via the brow arch incision to remove the saddle lesion, one should have solid and formal microneurosurgical techniques and accumulated rich surgical experience, and also need to have more perfect surgical equipment: such as controlled surgical bed, head frame, good microscope, etc.