The novel endonasal endoscopic skull base surgery on the anterior base skull, the area between the roof of the nose and the floor of the skull, caught the attention of the neurologists and ENT specialists who had gathered here from all over the country.

The new technique, which allows surgeons to operate on the vital organs in the brain through the nose without making any incisions on the face and avoiding opening of the skull, was relayed live to the specialists who had gathered for a workshop on ‘Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery’ at the S P Jain Auditorium, Bombay Hospital on April 3 and 4.

With the new and as yet unexplored technique, surgeons could conduct surgery on brain tumours such as pituitary adenomas; decompressing the optic nerve due to loss of vision caused by trauma; repairing the roof of the nose in cases where the injury has caused break, which allows the cerebro-spinal fluid to come into the nose that can cause meningitis or other such pathologies affecting the brain, cranial nerves or eyes; diseases of the sinus ad optic nerve compression apart from the others.

Earlier, these procedures had to be done by resorting to the conventional transcranial route, which had the potential for increased morbidity.

“The endoscopic approach is cosmetic as there is no external incision or scar and the point of pathology can be directly seen and treated”, said Dr Chandrashekhar Deopujari, neurosurgeon at Bombay Hospital and organizer of the event. “Apart from the therapeutic benefits, the procedure is beneficial as it reduces the cost and length of stay of the patient in the hospital”, said Dr Deopujari.

While the technique is still not practiced widely in India, Dr Deopujari is confident of the procedure making it big in the near future given its immense potential. “In Mumbai itself, we are one of the few hospitals to be imparting this technique on the patients. On an average, about 12-15 patients suffering from diseases of the nose and sinus are subjected to the procedure, while about 1 patient per week, suffering from diseases of the brain are subjected to the new technique”, said Dr Deopujari.

The only hitch is the cost factor, where the surgery could cost from Rs 50,000 - Rs 70,000. But that too would come down considerably in the months to come, once the procedure gains momentum, says Dr Deopujari. Infact, most of these surgeries are done free at the hospital, as most of the patients come from poor backgrounds, confessed Dr Deopujari.

The faculty at the seminar comprised Dr Andre Grotenhuis, professor of neurosurgery from Nijmegen, Netherlands and professor M V Kirtane, ENT surgeon from Mumbai who demonstrated their skills to the gathering of more than 150 specialists from around the country. The workshop was organized jointly by departments of ENT, neurosurgery and anatomy of the Bombay Hospital and Sion Hospital.