Clinical Impact of Using an Exoscope in En Bloc Subtotal Temporal Bone Resection for Advanced Ear Cancer

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Otolaryngology
• Surgical Oncology

Background:

• Advanced ear cancer requires complex surgical resection, such as en bloc subtotal temporal bone resection (STBR).
• Minimizing intraoperative complications like blood loss and venous sinus injury is crucial for patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical impact of using the 4K three-dimensional ORBEYE exoscope compared to the conventional surgical microscope in en bloc STBR.
• To assess differences in operation time, blood loss, and venous sinus injury between the two surgical approaches.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 21 patients undergoing en bloc ST-BR for lateral skull base malignancies.
• Comparison between patients operated with a conventional surgical microscope (SM) and those using the ORBEYE exoscope (OB).
• Key outcome measures included total operation time, neurosurgical duration, blood loss, and intraoperative venous sinus injury.

Main Results:

• The ORBEYE group showed significantly less blood loss compared to the SM group (p < 0.05).
• No venous sinus injuries occurred in the ORBEYE group, versus 15 in the SM group (p < 0.0001).
• Total operation time and the neurosurgical component duration were not significantly different between groups.

Conclusions:

• The use of the ORBEYE exoscope in en bloc STBR enhances surgical safety.
• ORBEYE facilitates reduced blood loss and eliminates venous sinus injury during advanced ear cancer resection.