The treatment of tumors and other problems at the base of the skull requires special expertise and collaborative effort. Traversing the skull base are important structures, nerves and blood vessels that are vital to our function and appearance.
Lahey Clinic offers patients complete care for cranial base tumors and is one of only a handful of institutions in the United States to offer comprehensive diagnostic, surgical and medical care across the full spectrum of cranial base disorders. As such, it has become a referral base for patients across the region, the nation and the world.
Recent advances in technology and an interdisciplinary surgical approach that combines physicians from neurosurgery and otolaryngology have revolutionized cranial base surgery. Under the codirection of Peter Catalano, MD, FACS, and Carlos David, MD, Lahey Clinic's Clinical Center for Cranial Base Surgery provides diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitation services for patients with a range of skull base disorders and lesions. The Center's multidisciplinary medical team includes well-known leaders in the fields of otolaryngology, neurosurgery, radiation and medical oncology, head and neck reconstructive surgery, interventional neuroradiology, and vestibular and rehabilitation medicine.
Complementing the team have been major improvements in microsurgery and anesthesiology related to surgery on the brain, brain stem, nerves and blood vessels associated with cranial base lesions; intraoperative cranial nerve monitoring (i.e., monitoring hearing or facial function during surgery); and diagnostic and interventional radiology. In addition, the development of microvascular free-tissue transfer techniques and their application to cranial base surgery permits functional and aesthetic reconstructive options.
