As an alternative to the transcranial route the transsphenoidal approach was developed simultaneously in the first decade of the 20th century in the United States and in Europe, in particular in the Austrian monarchy. One reason that Vienna became the cradle for the minimally invasive approach to pituitary tumors using an endonasal transsphenoidal approach was among others due to the basic and detailed anatomical studies of the paranasal sinuses performed in Vienna by the Austrian anatomist and Violin virtuoso Emil Zuckerkandl (1849–1910). His main work “On normal and pathological anatomy of the paranasal sinus and its pneumatic adnexes” in 1882 was the anatomical presupposition for the Viennese ENT surgeons to successfully develop minimally invasive endonasal approaches to pituitary tumors 1).
Initially described by Hans Schloffer 2) and Cushing 3) and subsequently popularized by Guiot 4) and Hardy and Wigser 5), the transsphenoidal approach to the sella now represents the preferred approach for removing pituitary neuroendocrine tumors. Traditionally performed with a microscope and a sublabial incision, the implementation of the endoscope and endonasal access has rendered the transsphenoidal approach less invasive and provided improved visualization into and around the sella.
1. for transsphenoidal approach: Polysporin® ointment (PSO) applied in both nostrils the night before surgery
2. antibiotics: e.g. Unasyn® 1.5 gm (1 gm ampicillin + 0.5 gm sulbactam) IVPB at MN & 6 AM
3. steroids, either:
a) hydrocortisone sodium succinate(Solu-Cortef®)50mg IM at 11 PM & 6 AM.On call to OR: hang 1 L D5LR + 20 mEq KCl/l + 50 mg Solu-Cortef at 75 ml/hr
OR
b) hydrocortisone 100mg PO at MN&IV at 6AM
4. intra-op: continue 100 mg hydrocortisone IV q 8 hrs
Difficulties achieving radical resection with this method are encountered in patients with pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PA) invading the cavernous sinus (CS), due to the inability of the standard transsphenoidal approach to expose all tumors adequately.