Orbitozygomatic craniotomy in three pieces: tips and tricks

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective Didactically describe the orbitozygomatic craniotomy made in three pieces. Method This approach was performed, from 2002 to 2011, in 49 patients admitted at Beneficência Portuguesa of São Paulo Hospital. Results Twenty-seven patients had vascular lesions and twenty-two suffered for intracranial skull base tumors. The vascular lesions varied from cavernous angiomas inside the mesencephalum, high bifurcation basilar tip aneurysms, superior cerebellar arteries aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations in the interpeduncular cistern. Skull base tumors as meningiomas, interpeduncular hamartomas and third ventricle floor gliomas were among the neoplastic lesions approached. We had no permanent injuries and minimal transient complications had occurred. Conclusion It is a descriptive text, organized in the sequence of the main stages in which such a craniotomy is performed, describing in details the technique in which this group of evolutionarily authors came to accomplish the task.