Endoscopic Endonasal Transmaxillary Approach to the Vidian Canal and Meckel’s Cave

46 Endoscopic Endonasal Transmaxillary Approach to the Vidian Canal and Meckel’s Cave


Rafid Al-Mahfoudh, João Paulo Almeida, Sacit Bulent Omay, and Theodore H. Schwartz


46.1 Indications


• Tumors isolated to the Meckel’s cave.


• Tumors with middle fossa–extracranial extension.


• Tumors with pure extracranial involvement along the second (V2) and third (V3) branch of the trigeminal nerve.


46.2 Patient Positioning


• Position: Supine with the head fixed with a Mayfield head holder.


• Body: The body is placed horizontal or in slight reverse Trendelenburg position (15-30°).


• Head: The head is slightly extended and rotated to the right.


• Abdomen and contralateral thigh are prepped and draped in a sterile fashion in case a fat graft or fascia lata are needed.


46.3 Surgical Approach (Fig. 46.1)


• Start with a rigid 0° endoscope.


• 1% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine is used to vasoconstrict the sphenopalatine artery (SPA) at the sphenopalatine foramen, in addition to infiltrating the uncinate process and vertical lamella of the ipsilateral middle turbinate.


• Resection of the posterior third of the septum allows for a binostril, 4-handed surgical technique and greater maneuverability of surgical instruments.


46.3.1 Critical Structures


• Middle turbinate


• Uncinate process



46.4 Nasal Stage (Figs. 46.2, 46.3)


• A contralateral nasoseptal flap must be harvested (see Chapters 38 and 39).


• Complete a septectomy by resecting the posterior nasal septum.


• Introduce the endoscope from contralateral nostril.


• Sphenoidectomy is performed.


• Uncinectomy is carried out.


• Middle turbinate is resected.


• Maxillary sinus ostium is identified.


• Ethmoidectomy is performed: the ethmoidal bulla and supra-bulla cells are both removed.


• Removing the ethmoidal bulla does facilitate the removal of the posterior wall of the medial junction of maxillary sinus.


46.4.1 Critical Structures


• Middle turbinate.


• Uncinate process.


• Ethmoidal bulla.


• Maxillary sinus ostium.


46.5 Maxillary Sinus Stage (Fig. 46.4)


• A wide maxillary antrostomy is carried out.


• The infraorbital neurovascular bundle is identified.


• Sphenopalatine artery is cauterized and divided.


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Feb 17, 2020 | Posted by in NEUROSURGERY | Comments Off on Endoscopic Endonasal Transmaxillary Approach to the Vidian Canal and Meckel’s Cave

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