[Complications after endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal removal of pituitary adenomas]

Remission, complications, and overall survival in transsphenoidal pituitary surgery-a Swedish single-center experience of 578 patients

BACKGROUND

Surgical treatment of pituitary lesions causing hormonal overproduction or mass effect is standard procedure. There are few reports on the results and complications related to these surgeries from Northern Europe. Our aim was to evaluate the outcome and complications of a single tertiary surgical center over more than a decade.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study on all patients that underwent pituitary surgery from 1st of January 2005 to 31st of December 2017. The analysis included type of lesion, surgical method, pre- and postoperative need for hormonal substitution, hormonal outcome, complications to surgery, survival, need for revision surgery, or stereotactic radiation. Appropriate statistical analyses were made to evaluate surgical results, complications, and survival.

RESULTS

Five hundred seventy-eight patients were included in the study. Remission was achieved in 58% of patients with GH-producing and 94% of ACTH-releasing adenomas. Sixty-six percent had no preoperative hormonal substitution compared to 39% postoperatively. Rhinosinusitis (10%) was the most commonly reported postoperative complication followed by leakage of cerebrospinal fluid (8%) and meningitis (4%). Standardized mortality rate for the study population was higher (p = 0.18) when compared to the general population.

CONCLUSION

Our results regarding remission rates and complications are in comparison with previous studies. Surgery of pituitary lesion can be considered a safe and efficient surgery. We noted lower rates of CSF leakage in the later part of the study period and believe that this, in part, was an effect by the introduction of a multidisciplinary surgical skull base team and increased surgical experience.

Application of autologous fibrin glue for skull base defect closure in transsphenoidal surgery. Case report and literature review

Nasal CSF leakage is the most common complication after transsphenoidal surgery, especially in case of extended transsphenoidal access. It is one of the main and obvious risk factors of meningitis. Introduction of effective reconstructive techniques made it possible to reduce the incidence of postoperative CSF leakage. Fibrin glue is one of the main components in transsphenoidal surgery for skull base defect closure. The use of autologous fibrin glue excludes immune response due to its biocompatibility. Modern technologies of preparation of autologous fibrin glue make it possible to obtain a large volume of glue that ensures complete sealing of skull base defect. At the same time, autologous glue contains factors promoting rapid tissue regeneration. It is of great importance for engraftment of autologous transplants in the area of skull base defect.

[Nosocomial meningitis in endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery]

One of the main problems of transsphenoidal surgery is the risk of infectious complications. Nosocomial meningitis (NCM) can lead to increased length of hospital stay and financial costs, poor treatment outcomes and even mortality. This complication is an indicator of the quality of medical care for patients with neurosurgical diseases. The purpose of the review was to study the main risk factors of NCM, modern schemes for antibiotic prophylaxis and treatment of this complication after endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery. The main risk factors of meningitis are intra- and postoperative CSF leakage, overweight, diabetes mellitus, previous transsphenoidal surgeries and radiotherapy. To date, there are no generally accepted periods for antibiotic prophylaxis in nasal CSF leakage, installed external ventricular / lumbar drains or tampons in nasal cavity. Antibiotic prophylaxis should not exceed 3 postoperative days due to the risk of cultivating the drug-resistant organisms. If NCM is detected, treatment should be initiated immediately with a broad spectrum of antibiotics.