Endonasal endoscopic transsphenoidal chiasmapexy with silicone plates for empty sella syndrome: technical note

Silicone plates sutured together to form blocks were used for extradural elevation of the sella floor in two patients who underwent chiasmapexy for visual disturbance associated with empty sella syndrome. A 36-year-old woman had been treated for prolactinoma for about 19 years with bromocriptine and then presented with left visual disturbance. A 79-year-old man presented with right blurred vision of unknown cause other than empty sella. The sella turcica was accessed via the endonasal transsphenoidal approach under endoscopic guidance. The bony sellar floor was opened with a drill. Two or three pieces of 1-mm-thick silicone plate were sutured to make a block. Two or three blocks were inserted into the epidural space to elevate the sellar contents. Visual symptoms improved in both patients. Silicone is biocompatible and not absorbable. Silicone plates are elastic and easy to handle during insertion, but firm enough to support the sella. The elevation can be adjusted by changing the number of plates in the block. The endonasal endoscopic approach is minimally invasive and particularly suitable for transsphenoidal extradural chiasmapexy for empty sella syndrome.