Skull Base Disorders Surgery

People with skull base disorders turn to Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) for expert care. Our skilled neurosurgeons perform minimally invasive skull base surgery, including endoscopic endonasal surgery, where we remove tumors through the nose.

LVHN neurosurgeons have specialized training in performing skull base surgery for conditions such as pituitary tumors.

We are also regional leaders in navigated surgeries, using sophisticated imaging technology to visualize the brain during surgery. This approach results in a safer, more precise procedure.

People from around the region seek out our neurosurgery team for skull base surgery because of our high level of expertise in performing these intricate procedures.

What are skull base disorders?

The skull base is the bony ridge that the brain sits on at the bottom of the skull. The skull base separates the brain from other structures in the head, such as sinuses, ears and eyes.

There are many nerves and blood vessels that travel through the openings of the skull base. Skull base disorders often require surgery and include:

Brain tumors
Lesions of blood vessels such as aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations
Leaking brain fluid (cerebrospinal fluid or CSF)
Bone lesions
Pituitary tumors
Meningiomas

Endoscopic skull base surgery

If you’ve been diagnosed with a pituitary tumor or another lesion on the skull base, we will most likely perform endoscopic endonasal surgery. During this procedure, we thread an endoscope (a thin, fiber optic tube) through the nostril to remove the tumor.

At LVHN, our neurosurgeons perform 30 to 40 skull base procedures every year, a high number for these rare surgeries.