Lateral skull base & endoscopic ear surgery

Skull base surgery is one of the most complex surgical fields and requires close cooperation with adjacent disciplines. To this end, we work closely with the Clinics for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Neuroradiology, Radiotherapy, Vascular Surgery and Neurosurgery at the Klinikum rechts der Isar.

Operations on the ear and the lateral base of the skull are traditionally performed using an operating microscope. This enables high-precision work with both hands. However, a sufficiently large surgical access path must be chosen to allow a direct line of sight. In recent years, a new operative branch of endoscopic surgery has developed in the field of ear surgery and disease processes of the lateral skull base. Using an endoscope, areas behind the edges of bones, for example, can also be operated on, thus allowing a smaller access route with fewer side effects to be chosen. This development was made possible by improved navigation, specially developed ear instruments and endoscopic techniques. Both techniques can also be combined. Ideally, the combination of microscopic and endoscopic access routes leads to a shortening of the intervention time while reducing side effects.

We use the following techniques for surgery of the lateral skull base:

• Intraoperative navigation
• High-end endoscopy
• Microscopic Surgery
• Different techniques for defect coverage