Endonasal Surgery (Through the Nose)
Endonasal surgery is the most common surgery used to remove:
- Pituitary tumors
- Chordomas
- Chondrosarcomas
- Craniopharyngiomas
- Skull base tumors
Your neurosurgeon can also use this type of surgery to repair leaks in the nose of cerebrospinal fluid, which is the fluid found in the tissue around your brain and spinal cord. They will work with specialists in rhinology (ear, nose and throat specialists and sinus surgery specialists) to remove your tumor without making large incisions or exposing your brain.
For this procedure, your neurosurgeon will use an endoscope, which is a small, thin tube with a camera on the end. They will insert the endoscope through your nose and watch video from the endoscope on a monitor. Using the video as a guide, they can insert other tools next to and around the endoscope to repair the leak or remove the tumor.