title: Rhinosurgical experience with the transseptal-transsphenoidal hypophysectomy: technique and long-term results.
abstract: Many modifications of extracranial transsphenoidal hypophysectomy exist, but knowledge of the rhinological implications of these procedures is rare. At our institution the transseptal approach is performed as a joint rhinosurgical and neurosurgical procedure. Three hundred nineteen patients were operated on from 1979 to 1984, 113 of whom had a rhinological follow-up for 5 years. Most of the complications were asymptomatic. Thirteen percent of the patients had septal perforations, 3.5% epistaxis, and 36% complained of mild dryness of the nose. An improvement in breathing was noted in 24% of the patients. There was no difference in rhinological complaints between patients who underwent the sublabial approach and those operated via a transnasal approach. Twenty percent of the patients operated on with the sublabial approach had additional temporary complaints in the upper lip; therefore, the transnasal-transseptal approach is currently our procedure of choice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gammert
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007016:Hypophysectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D009666:Nose / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D009668:Nose Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D012658:Sella Turcica / Q000601:surgery; D013101:Sphenoid Sinus / Q000601:surgery