title: Complications of skull base surgery: an analysis of 30 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the risk factors for perioperative complications among patients undergoing craniofacial resection for the treatment of skull base tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group comprised 29 patients with skull base tumors (22 malignant and 7 benign) who underwent 30 craniofacial resections at Hokkaido University Hospital between 1989 and 2006. Of these cases, 21 had undergone prior treatment by radiation (16 cases), surgery (7 cases), or chemotherapy (1 case). Moreover, 19 needed extended resection involving the dura (11 cases), brain (5 cases), orbit (12 cases), hard palate (5 cases), skin (3 cases), or cavernous sinus (2 cases).
  
  
  METHODS
  Perioperative complications and risk factor associated with their incidence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Perioperative complications occurred in 12 patients (40%; 13 cases). There was a significant difference between complication rates for cases with and without prior therapy (52.4% vs. 11.1%). The complication rate for dural resection cases was 81.8%. There was a significant difference between complication rates for cases with and without dura resection. No postoperative mortality was reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Craniofacial resection is a safe and effective treatment for skull base tumors. However, additional care is required in patients with extended resection (especially dural) and those who have undergone prior therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakashita
authors.forename: Nobuhiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oridate
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Homma
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamaru
authors.forename: Fumiyuki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Hiromitsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hatakeyama
authors.forename: Shigenari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taki
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sawamura
authors.forename: Yuhei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Furuta
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukuda