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October 27, 2005

UPMC opens transnasal brain surgery operating room

A UPMC operating room has been designed to accommodate an innovative surgical procedure for removing brain tumors in which the nose and nasal sinuses are used to gain access to the brain. This facility is believed to be the first of its kind in the United States.

A collaboration between UPMC and Karl Storz Endoscopy-America Inc., which worked closely with surgeons at Pitt in its design, the suite maximizes the benefits of minimally invasive surgery to patients and surgeons by using the latest electronic control systems to integrate devices and the many environmental components of the room.

The surgical technique, called endoscopic transnasal brain surgery, also known as expanded endonasal approach (ETA), was refined by UPMC surgeons and represents an advancement in a surgeon’s abilities to remove benign and malignant tumors, some as large as baseballs.

Following surgery, in many cases, patients are discharged within a few days.

Filed under: Feature,Volume 38 Issue 5

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