Expanded Endonasal Approach

A new path to brain surgery for children

For the past decade, surgeons at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have pioneered a minimally invasive neurosurgical technique known as the Expanded Endonasal Approach (EEA). For certain conditions, this procedure uses the nose as a pathway to perform neurosurgery in adults.

Now this approach, pioneered by UPMC physicians Amin Kassam, MD, Carl Snyderman, MD, and Ricardo Carrau, MD, has been shown to benefit pediatric patients as well.   

A study  published in a leading neurosurgery journal*, states that EEA is "a safe and effective minimally invasive technique." EEA procedures have been performed on more than 50 pediatric patients at UPMC and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, more than any other neurosurgery center in the world. The study found that the surgical team was able to treat each patient’s problem with minimal complications.  As a result, this procedure offers children hope they never had before.

Pioneering EEA for children
Even under the expert care of the most experienced neurosurgeon, skull-based surgery can be a frightening experience for any child. That’s why neurosurgeons at UPMC and Children’s Hospital continue to pioneer the field of minimally invasive neurosurgery through EEA and other minimally invasive endoneurological procedures at UPMC’s Minimally Invasive endoNeurosurgery Center (MINC).

MINC surgeons can treat brain and skull base tumors, cerebrovascular disease, cranial nerve disorders and some spinal abnormalities in children using surgical approaches that do not require a large incision.

As the groundbreaking technology in the field of minimally invasive procedures continues to improve, so do the benefits for pediatric patients. This type of surgery translates into less time under anesthesia and reduced risk of infection. It also means less blood loss, fewer complications and negligible disfigurement.  A faster recovery time means that a child misses fewer days of school and can go back to playing with friends more quickly.

Learn more about minimally invasive endoneurosurgery and get referral and contact information.

* Kassam A, Thomas AJ, Snyderman C, Carrau R, Gardner P, Mintz A, Kanaan H, Horowitz M, Pollack IF. Fully endoscopic expanded endonasal approach treating skull base lesions in pediatric patients. J Neurosurg. 2007 Feb;106(2):75-86.