A new surgical approach to subcortical lesions: balloon inflation and cortical gluing. Technical note

A cortical incision performed with inflation of a balloon to create a channel has been used in an approach to deep lesions with minimal damage to cerebral tissue. The balloon is slipped over a blunt needle and, once in place, is inflated through the needle. Postoperative sealing of the incision with fibrin glue avoids the subdural collection of cerebrospinal fluid such as is sometimes observed when the ventricle is opened during surgery.