Management of unexpected cerebrospinal fluid fistulae during endoscopic sinus surgery

Image-Guided Surgical Device Failures in Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery: A MAUDE Analysis

OBJECTIVE

Image-guided surgery (IGS) devices have become widely used for anatomic localization during functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). However, there are no studies that analyze the post-market complications associated with IGS device use during FESS. The objective of this study was to better characterize post-market complications associated with the use of IGS devices during sinus surgery.

METHODS

The US Food and Drug Administration's Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience database was queried for event reports associated with neurological stereotaxic devices utilized in IGS between the dates of January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2020. Medical device reports that were analyzed for this study pertained strictly to FESS.

RESULTS

There were 1873 reports involving IGS devices for FESS included in this study. Fifty-five reports involved adverse events to patients (2.9%) and 1818 (97.1%) involved device malfunctions. Of the adverse events to patients, the most common included cerebrospinal fluid leakage (45.6%), tissue damage (12.7%), and nervous system injury (3.6%). The most commonly reported device malfunction was imprecision (21.1%).

CONCLUSION

IGS devices are widely utilized in FESS. Of the medical device reports between 2016 and 2020, less than 3% resulted in adverse events. Further studies of the infrequent post-market complications of IGS devices used in FESS can help guide surgeons on the risks of their clinical use.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

4-Retrospective database survey without controls Laryngoscope, 2022.

Severe Cerebral Complications Secondary to Perforation Injury of the Anterior Skull Base During Sinonasal Surgery: An Underappreciated Problem?

OBJECTIVE

Functional endonasal sinus surgery (FESS) is widely practiced and is considered a generally safe procedure. Skull base injuries occur in <1% of procedures and are typically associated with cerebrospinal fluid leaks. Rarely, skull base injuries might result in cerebral lesions. Here we present a series of 4 patients with iatrogenic perforating injuries of the anterior skull base and cerebral lesions after routine FESS.

METHODS

Four patients with iatrogenic perforating cerebral lesions after routine FESS, performed at other institutions, were referred to a tertiary neurosurgery department. Within a 10-year period these procedures were performed in 3 patients as endoscopic FESS and as a microscopic FESS in 1 patient.

RESULTS

There were 3 men and 1 woman. Mean age at the time of surgery was 50 years. In 3 instances (in which an endoscope was used), the ear, nose, and throat physician had noted perforation of the skull base during surgery, but it went unnoticed in 1 patient operated with the microscope. Frontal lobe hematoma occurred in all patients, and in 3 of them cerebral infarction developed secondary to injury of branches of the anterior cerebral artery. Three patients developed acute hydrocephalus. Two had rapid global brain swelling and they succumbed within days. The other 2 patients survived without apparent neurological deficits.

CONCLUSIONS

Cerebral lesions during FESS still occur in contemporary surgery and they are possibly underreported. Even with prompt conservative and surgical measures, these lesions may result in catastrophic outcome. Associated vascular injuries have a worse prognosis. The only risk factor associated with lethal outcome in our series was younger age.

Radiological and clinical interpretation of the patients with CSF leaks developed during or after endoscopic sinus surgery

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks associated with endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) are a rare complication related to anatomical and technical factors. The anatomical variations at skull base level are imperative to be detected preoperatively by CT scan to avoid this complication. Identifying the factors playing a role in the incidence of the CSF leaks during and after ESS and the common leak sites. A retrospective review of 24 patients presented with incidental CSF leaks, gathered from 1999 to 2016 was performed. Images interpretation of the skull base area was done using four parameters includes Keros classification, skull base slope, fovea plane and maxillary ethmoid height ratio (MER). Each parameter is classified into three types according to the anatomical configuration, then these parameters scores categorized according to the level of the safety into a level I, II and III, all levels were correlated with each other and with the site of leakage. It was found that the major group presented with the level I and the least group with level III safety, with an evidence of the most unsafe anatomical variation was the least relevant. Parameters measurements revealed that the larger group of the anatomical variation type III was in the MER and the commonest leak site was in the posterior ethmoidal roof. CT scan study of the skull base is crucial in delineating the variations and be a roadmap to proceed safely through the dissection remembering that incidental CSF leaks are multifactorial in etiology.

Management of unexpected cerebrospinal fluid leak during endoscopic sinus surgery

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Cerebrospinal fluid leak during endoscopic sinus surgery is a potentially devastating complication; however, identification and appropriate management can prevent unfavorable outcomes. The purpose of this review is to outline the recent advances in the management of cerebrospinal fluid leaks that occur during endoscopic sinus surgery.

RECENT FINDINGS

The low incidence of this complication makes prospective and randomized study difficult. The expanding role for endoscopic skull base surgery has brought new techniques and advances in the treatment of skull base reconstruction and cerebrospinal fluid fistula repair that can be applied to intraoperative leaks that occur during sinus surgery. Recent reports have focused on the prevention, identification, repair materials, repair technique, and infectious sequelae related to this complication.

SUMMARY

Several successful techniques that utilize a variety of materials are available for the repair of cerebrospinal fluid leaks encountered during sinus surgery. The clinical scenario will determine the appropriate use of repair material, technique, and postoperative care.