Meet to focus on new techniques for ENT surgeons

“The conference will be attended by ENT surgeons from across the country and elsewhere in the world who will be introduced to newer techniques to treat skull-based disorders. Two world renowned Italian surgeons will help Indian surgeons with their expertise,” said Dr Nishit Shah,consultant ENT surgeon at Bombay Hospital,and an organiser of the conference. 

In this technique,known as endoscopic surgery,surgeons insert an endoscope consisting of a camera lens at the tip of a long tube through a nostril,to enter the skull base through the sphenoid sinus,which is located deep within the skull and below the pituitary gland.

“Before endoscope was introduced in India,neurosurgeons used a typical large and bulky surgical microscope to remove pituitary tumors and entered it through an incision under the lip. It caused significant damage to nasal structures. Today,most surgeons use the nasal approach but continue to use the surgical microscope,” said Dr Shah. “Pituitary surgery has conventionally been and still is done by neurosurgeons. However,the nasal approach requires a fine coordination between neurosurgeons and ENT surgeons.”

This endoscopic technique utilizes the patient’s natural nasal air passage as a surgical corridor. Since the point of entry is through a nostril,no incision is required. Consequently,there is no scarring,no nasal packing,and the brain is undisturbed. The time required for the actual surgical procedure,the length of hospital stay and overall recovery time are drastically reduced.

There are other advantages over conventional surgery. “The average length of hospital stay is cut drastically and patients return home within 24-48 hours of surgery and enjoy a rapid overall recovery. They can resume work and normal activities sooner,” added Dr Shah who has done about 500 pituitary surgeries and treated another 700 other skull based disorders endoscopically along with neurosurgeons at the Bombay Hospital,the highest in India.