[CT guided transsphenoidal surgery: report of nine cases]

We have developed a Computed Tomography system for use in the operating room and applied this CT system to intraoperative monitoring during transsphenoidal surgery. This system includes Toshiba TCT-300 CT system, mobile CT scanner gantry, digitally controlled operating table and head fixation system. Between June 1989 and Dec. 1989, CT guided transsphenoidal surgery was carried out in 9 cases in our department. The suprasellar masses were visualized directly during transphenoidal surgery and were removed safely and efficiently. Under this CT monitoring system the surgeon can obtain accurate information about the location and volume of residual tumor as well as about the important surrounding deeper structure. Another advantage of this system is that the digitally controlled operating table makes it possible to keep the patient in a head-up position, which lessens oozing from the parasellar region during transsphenoidal surgery. We believe the best application of this method is that for pituitary tumor with moderate suprasellar extension. Nine cases were reported in this paper which were operated on using this system. To our knowledge, this is the first report of use of intraoperative CT monitoring during transsphenoidal surgery.