Pituitary tumour: PGIMER doctors get better results using advanced technology

The institute stated that the study led by Dr Dhandapani SS is the first to show that navigation and angled endoscopes help a surgeon deliver better results

In a first of its kind, endoscopic skull base surgeons at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research have shown that the use of advanced neurosurgical gadgets can improve the outcome of endoscopic surgery for a pituitary tumour.

“Though these tools are being used widely, there has not been adequate proof of their actual efficacy. The study led by Dr Dhandapani SS is the first to show that navigation and angled endoscopes help a surgeon deliver even better results. Navigation was helpful during surgery in almost half of the cases. The tumour resection rates improved from 71% to 87%, and the retreatment rates decreased from 21% to 8% with navigation,” the institute stated in a release on Friday.

It also stated, “In complex hormone-secreting tumours, the cure rate improved from 0% to 69% using navigation. Angled endoscopes were helpful in additional tumour removal in 63% of cases. In non-secreting tumours, angled endoscopes improved resection rates from 71% to 92%, and re-treatment rates decreased from 16% to 0%.”

Though in this regard, microscopic surgeries through the nose were the standard, recently neuronavigation was introduced for better precision during neurosurgery for complex tumours. Surgical navigation is a computerised technology to precisely identify targets similar to GPS in mobile devices. Also, angled endoscopes help surgeons see the tumour portions in crucial areas, like a periscope.