Cranial Base Surgery Center Performs 5000th EEA

This news originated from the University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurosurgery.

A major milestone was reached April 30 at UPMC Presbyterian, as the UPMC Center for Cranial Base Surgery—under the direction of Paul Gardner, MD, and Georgios Zenonos, MD, in the Department of Neurological Surgery; Carl Snyderman, MD, MBA, Eric Wang, MD, and Garret W. Choby, MD, in the Department of Otolaryngology; and Tonya Stefko, MD, from the Department of Ophthalmology—performed its 5,000th endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) skull base surgery.

A 40-year-old female was successfully treated for a chordoma. The patient had undergone surgery at another hospital with partial tumor removal, and was informed by her doctors that the remaining tumor could not be removed. However, after Dr. Gardner reviewed her case, he determined that she was a candidate for EEA and his team successfully resected the remaining tumor.

EEA is an innovative surgical technique used to remove brain tumors and lesions—some as large as softballs—all through the nose. The UPMC Center for Cranial Base Surgery pioneered the EEA procedure more than 25 years ago and is now one of the busiest centers in the world for endoscopic treatment of pituitary tumors and tumors of the cranial base. 

The concept of team surgery allows the center to select the best surgical approach for each tumor, with a surgical plan designed around the particular needs of the individual patient. Treatment is designed to offer the best surgical outcome with the least side effects and maximal preservation of function.

The center's prominence in the field has also established it as a major teaching and research destination for surgeons and other health care professionals looking to learn more about minimally invasive cranial base procedures.