Manual Instruments as an Alternative to Drilling for Bony Exposure in Skull Base Surgery: Concept and Technique

Background  Drilling in neurosurgery is an integral part of surgical exposure, especially in skull base approaches and craniovertebral junction (CVJ) surgeries. Most of such drillings are done in close proximity to the neurovascular structures in skull base surgeries and cervical-medullary junction or facet/pedicle in CVJ surgeries. Reluctance to drilling among young neurosurgeons is due to less hands-on experience during training and also, in the early part of the career, due to fear of injury to neurovascular structures. Methods  Five commonest bone removals for skull base region and CVJ surgeries that can be safely done using manual instruments were identified based on experiences of senior authors. The authors highlight key technical nuances to widen surgical corridors using manual instruments safely for skull base surgical approaches. Results  Basic neuroanatomical concepts and basic physics help in using manual instruments safely for bone removals in various skull base surgical approaches. Conclusions  Manual instruments may be used for bone removals in selected skull base surgical approaches, which help young neurosurgeons to perform these surgeries in limited-resource settings.