Endoscopic skull base surgery continues to push boundaries with the increased complexity of work and larger defects requiring repair. Robust repair following endoscopic skull base surgery is essential to reduce significant postoperative complications such as a cerebrospinal fluid leak, meningitis, and pneumocephalus.

Researchers did this study to describe and further validate our novel technique of using a polydioxanone plate wrap used in extensive anterior skull base resections where brain herniation can be of concern.

Researchers did not observe any obvious brain herniation after extensive resections, our PDS wrap can be deployed to provide rigid support to the brain. The PDS plate is wrapped in a dural graft material and sutured closed to allow deployment by releasing the sutures in position under the defect’s bony ridge.

The study concluded that to date, we have successfully used this technique in 3 patients following extensive skull base resections of olfactory meningiomas, where there was herniation of the brain. Postoperatively, there was no evidence of a cerebrospinal fluid leak. Therefore, we recommend using the PDS wrap to prevent brain herniation and provide additional support to the repair.

Reference: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1945892419873991

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