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Updated: Sep 2, 2025
Endoscopic Endonasal Trans-sphenoidal Approach: Minimally Invasive Surgery for Pituitary Adenomas
Published on: January 17, 2018
Quality of life outcomes after transnasal endoscopic pituitary surgery using the Glasgow Benefit Inventory
Frederick R Green1, Matthew I Sanders2, Paul Davies1
1Ear, Nose and Throat Department, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Sheffield, UK.
Purpose:
This study assesses postoperative quality-of-life outcomes via the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI) in patients undergoing transnasal endoscopic pituitary surgery for pituitary adenoma.
Methods:
This was a retrospective cohort study in a UK tertiary referral centre. 145 patients who had undergone transnasal endoscopic pituitary surgery for pituitary adenoma over a 6-year period at one institution completed the GBI with at least 3 months' follow up. Patients with prior radiotherapy were excluded. The GBI is a patient-reported outcome measure that assesses post-intervention outcomes in three domains: 'general' functioning, 'social support' and 'physical' functioning. Pre- and post-operative visual loss scores were additionally assessed via a 1-5 Likert scale. GBI scores were assessed alongside these visual loss scores, clinical and surgical parameters and demographics.
Results:
Mean age was 59.5 years (range 20-87 years) and mean follow up was 36 months. A total of 46 of 145 (31.7%) patients had secreting tumours. The most common primary symptom was visual loss. Mean total score for all patients was positive (+8.4); with 'general' domain score the most positive (+10.5). All patient groups had overall positive, 'general' and 'social support' domain scores. Patients with Cushing's disease reported significantly higher mean total scores (+29.6) than all other groups. Acromegaly (+7.9) and non-functioning adenoma (NFA) groups (+5.2) reported lower mean total scores. 'Physical' domain mean scores were negative for acromegaly and NFA groups. There was statistical significance between a pre- to post-operative improvement in visual score and mean total GBI score (p = 0.02) and mean 'general' domain GBI score (p = 0.02).
Conclusions:
These findings can aid preoperative counselling of patients undergoing this surgery. Those with NFA and no anticipated improvement to visual loss symptoms may be advised of possible worsened physical outcomes and of the option to delay the surgery until symptoms are present.
