Endoscopic Endo-nasal Trans-Sphenoidal Approach for Pituitary Adenomas: A Prospective Study

The surgical approach for hypophysectomy has undergone sweeping revolution in the past three decades. With the advent of endoscopes, better instrumentation, better illumination and viewing cameras, endoscopic endo-nasal trans-sphenoidal approach to sella has now largely become the norm. The aim of this study is to present our experience, analysing the surgical outcomes of this approach in patients with pituitary adenoma, pertaining to entirety of tumor removal, alleviation of symptoms and rate of complications. This prospective  study was conducted at our tertiary health care  centre from June 2012 to June 2015. A total of 14 patients, meeting the inclusion criteria, underwent endoscopic trans-sphenoidal hypophysectomy for pituitary adenoma. Age of presentation ranged from 19 to 73 years (mean 43.6 years). 9 patients were female and 5 were male. The most common presenting symptom was headache, followed by visual disturbances. Amongst those with hormonal imbalance, most common were prolactinomas and growth hormone secreting adenomas. Preoperative MRI brain showed macroadenomas in all 14 patients. 7 (50%) patients had suprasellar extension, while 5 (36%) patients had intracavernous extension too. CT paranasal sinuses provided the roadmap for surgery by identifying anatomical variations. Alleviation of headache occurred in all cases. Normalization of altered hormonal profile was seen in all cases. 83.3% of our patients with visual field defects on perimetry showed improvement post-surgery. Recidivism was directly related to the size and extent of adenoma. Transient diabetes insipidus was seen in 4 (28%) cases. Persistent diabetes insipidus occurred in 1 (7%) patient. CSF leak was seen in 2 (14%) patients, 1 (7%) patient developed postoperative meningitis. Most common nasal complication was excessive crusting. There was no incidence of any vascular complications, focal neurological deficit or hypopituitarism in our study. The pure endoscopic approach is a safe, efficacious, and minimally invasive technique for the removal of pituitary adenomas. The results have been encouraging in our prospective study. However, the importance of learning curve in endoscopic skull base surgery and use of a multi-disciplinary collaboration cannot be overemphasized.