Lateral supraorbital approach indications
The lateral supraorbital approach can provide a safe, rapid, and minimally invasive exposure for parachiasmal meningiomas compared with the pterional approach. Surgeons must consider tumor size, origin, and extent in determining the resectability of the tumor rather than the extent of exposure 1).
Bilateral optic nerve decompression by osteopetrosis via a supraorbital approach may improve or stabilize vision 2).
The lateral supraorbital (LS) and mini-pterional craniotomy have been reported for treating intracranial aneurysms as alternative to the pterional approach.
From an anatomic point of view, both approaches provide similar exposure to the sellar region, suprasellar, and anterior communicating artery areas. The pterional approach provides better exposure of the retrosellar area. The ability to operate in the retrosellar area, is higher with the pterional than with the lateral supraorbital approach 3).
Sellar tumors may be removed via a LSO approach with relatively low morbidity and mortality 4).
The lateral supraorbital approach provides adequate exposure of the lesion and allows safe neurosurgical manipulation, with much shorter operation time and much smaller craniotomy, thereby decreasing surgical morbidity. Thus, the lateral supraorbital approach for clipping of unruptured intracranial aneurysm could be a good alternative to the classic pterional approach 5).
Sellar tumors can be removed via the LSO approach with relatively low morbidity and mortality. Surgical results with this fast and simple approach are similar to those obtained with more extensive, complex, and time-consuming approaches 6).
The lateral supraorbital approach is a minimally invasive approach that provides excellent exposure of the superior, lateral and medial orbit as well as the orbital apex 7).