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Stanford Health Care

Endoscopic Endonasal Surgery

Our Approach to Endoscopic Endonasal Surgery

This technique offers numerous potential advantages over traditional surgery, including direct access to tumors without the need to cut into the skull. Accessing a tumor via the endoscopic endonasal approach (also called EEA) also can eliminate the need to move the brain, vessels, or nerves.

Our goals are to minimize the risk of complications, produce the best possible results, and reduce recovery times.

Our doctors are among the most experienced endoscopic endonasal surgeons in the world. We have helped lead the development of this innovative technique for the removal of growths and abnormalities such as tumors near the base of the skull.

In addition, our team conducts research into new advances to ensure that we can offer patients the most advanced endoscopic endonasal treatment options, some not yet available anywhere else.

What We Offer You for Endoscopic Endonasal Surgery

  • Globally-recognized expertise in the Endoscopic Endonasal Approach to skull base surgery
  • Use of the endoscopic endonasal approach to treat conditions involving brain, pituitary, and skull base tumors.
  • Faster recovery with a less invasive, scarless approach to surgery
  • Team-based treatment planning that brings together specialists from neurosurgery, rhinology, neuroradiology, radiation oncology, neuropathology, and more
  • Comprehensive support services to help you with your specific symptoms and the challenges of this experience.
  • Assistance from our International Medical Services team to plan your travel and accommodations.

What Is Endoscopic Endonasal Surgery?

Endoscopic endonasal surgery is a minimally invasive technique that enables doctors to treat tumors and tissue damage near the brain or spine by using an endoscope (a thin tube with a light and camera) inserted through the nose and sinuses.

This can eliminate the need to make cuts in the skin or skull. As a result, when compared with traditional surgery, the endoscopic endonasal approach (also sometimes called EEA) can reduce the risk of complications, shorten recovery times, and improve outcomes.
 

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Endoscopic Endonasal Approach (EEA) to Skull Base
Play Video | 3:57
Endoscopic Endonasal Approach (EEA) to Skull Base
Endoscopic Endonasal Approach (EEA) to Skull Base

What to Expect from Endoscopic Endonasal Surgery

EEA is an important option for the treatment of hard-to-reach tumors near the brain, skull base, spine, and pituitary gland. Before the development of EEA, many of these tumors were considered inoperable.

A team of two surgeons — an ear, nose, and throat surgeon and a neurosurgeon — performs this procedure together. The ENT inserts a thin tube called an endoscope, which includes a light and camera, through your nose and sinuses, gently moving aside and protecting normal nasal structures, while opening the sinuses we need to access the skull base. 

Once this access has been established, the neurosurgeon can join the ENT surgeon and insert tools to remove the tumor while the ENT surgeon uses the endoscope to clearly show the tumor as well as all of the important nerves and vessels surrounding the tumor. The two surgeons work together to reconstruct the skull base once the tumor has been removed.

As an alternative to traditional surgery, EEA can help improve both your health and quality of life by eliminating facial disfigurement, minimizing trauma to the brain and critical nerve structures, reducing the risk of complications, and making recovery times as short as possible.

We welcome you for complete, compassionate care. Our team has extensive experience and helped pioneer EEA to treat many types of tumors, including some that were once considered inoperable.

Our Clinics

Brain and Spine Tumor Center at Stanford Neuroscience Health Center
In Palo Alto, our multispecialty teams treat cancerous and noncancerous spine and brain tumors with surgery, radiation therapy, and medication.
213 Quarry Road
 Palo Alto, CA 94304
Phone: 650-497-7777 Getting Here

RELATED CLINICS

875 Blake Wilbur Drive
 Palo Alto, CA 94304
Phone: 650-498-6000
Make An Appointment

To schedule an appointment, please call: 650-497-7777