Endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery for treating pituitary adenoma via a sub-septum mucosa approach

A novel sub-suptum mucusa approach was used to investigate the surgical method via an endonasal sub-septum-mucosa approach to pituitary adenoma under endoscopy. In this work, we aim to ensure the quality of operation and to reduce the operation trauma and complications. By endoscopy, the nasal mucosa was incised in the nasal septum, and all mucosal flaps were retained, a sub-septum-mucosa surgical corridor was made where the endoscope was used in the mucosa cavity for operation and to remove the pituitary adenoma. 52 patients (28 women, mean age 46.76 years) underwent endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal sub-septum-mucosa approach for treating pituitary adenoma. 46 patients (88.5%) underwent gross total removal (GTR) for the tumor; 6 patients (11.5%) went through partial tumor removal (PTR). After operation, all nasal mucosa was retained, no complications such as nasal bleeding, loss of sense of smell or cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea. Our results showed that treating pituitary adenoma using endonasal transsphenoidal surgeries by keeping nasal mucosa under neuroendoscopy tend to have smaller trauma. This novel method more advanced since it provides a clear operation field, a flexible transformation of operation modes and leads to less postoperative complications.