Sellar Defect Reconstruction with Vascularized Superior Turbinate Mucosal Flaps in Endonasal Endoscopic Transsellar Approach.

The pedicled nasoseptal flap (NSF) constitutes the primary reconstructive option for most skull base defects in endonasal endoscopic approaches. The superior nasal turbinate (ST) has received little attention. We report our preliminary experience with the use of the ST mucosal flap in selected cases. We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent endonasal endoscopic approaches and identified 9 patients who were reconstructed with vascularized ST mucosal flaps as part of a double-layer or triple-layer reconstruction. When there was no intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, we used a double-layer technique. If there was an intraoperative CSF leak, regardless of the quality of leakage, we preferred a triple-layer repair technique. In patients with high-flow leaks, triple-layer repair was performed using only autologous tissue grafts and flaps. Intraoperative CSF leaks were noted in 7 of 9 patients. Among them, 4 patients had low-flow CSF leaks (grade 1 and 2) and 3 patients had high-flow CSF leaks (grade 3). All reconstructions had complete defect coverage with the ST flaps and NSFs were preserved. All the flaps were viable at 4 weeks without a CSF leak or complication at the reconstruction site. There was no contraction or partial loss of the flap. After a mean follow-up period of 9 months, none of the patients required a flap revision, developed a mucocele, infection, or other complication. An ST flap can be used for the vascularized reconstruction of sellar defects if it is bilaterally available. This option should not be overlooked and wasted.

Kutlay M ，Durmaz O ，Kırık A ，Yaşar S ，Özer İ ，Ezgü MC ，Kural C ，Temiz Ç ，Durmaz A ，Daneyemez MK ，Izci Y ... -  《-》

Beyond the nasoseptal flap: outcomes and pearls with secondary flaps in endoscopic endonasal skull base reconstruction.

Endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery defects require effective reconstruction. Although the nasoseptal flap (NSF) has become our institution's workhorse for large skull base defects with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks, situations where it is unavailable require secondary flaps. Clinical outcomes, pearls and pitfalls, and an algorithm will be presented for these secondary flaps. Clinical case series. Medical records of all endoscopic endonasal skull base surgeries at a tertiary care academic medical center were reviewed for skull base defect type, reconstruction method, CSF leak rate, and flap necrosis rate. Of 330 flaps for reconstructing endoscopic endonasal skull base defects, secondary flaps were used in 34 cases (10%). These included 16 endoscopic-assisted pericranial flaps, seven tunneled temporoparietal fascia flaps, three inferior turbinate flaps, two middle turbinate flaps, two anterior lateral nasal wall flaps, two palatal flaps, one occipital flap, and one facial artery buccinator flap. There were 19 anterior cranial fossa defects, 10 clival defects, three sellar defects, and one frontal and one lateral orbit/middle fossa defect. Twenty-five of the 34 cases (73.5%) had either prior or postoperative radiation therapy. The most common pathology was sinonasal cancer, with 16 cases (47.1%). The postoperative CSF leak rate was 3.6% due to one middle turbinate flap necrosis. Secondary flaps for skull base reconstruction can be harvested with minimally invasive techniques and demonstrate excellent success rates (97%) that are comparable to that of the NSF (>95%). Multiple flaps for complex skull base defects should be in the armamentarium of comprehensive skull base surgery centers. 4.

Patel MR ，Taylor RJ ，Hackman TG ，Germanwala AV ，Sasaki-Adams D ，Ewend MG ，Zanation AM ... -  《-》

Various modifications of a vascularized nasoseptal flap for repair of extensive skull base dural defects.

Moon JH ，Kim EH ，Kim SH 《-》

Endoscopic skull base reconstruction: a review and clinical case series of 152 vascularized flaps used for surgical skull base defects in the setting of intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid leak.

Thorp BD ，Sreenath SB ，Ebert CS ，Zanation AM ... -  《Neurosurgical Focus》

Endoscopic reconstruction of the cranial base using a pedicled nasoseptal flap.

Kassam AB ，Thomas A ，Carrau RL ，Snyderman CH ，Vescan A ，Prevedello D ，Mintz A ，Gardner P ... -  《-》