title: The guillotine knife: a novel tool for safe endoscopic cutting of intracranial membranes.
abstract: This article describes a new endoscopic cutting tool that acts like a guillotine. It enables safe cutting of membranes overlying neurovascular structures because the footplate protects these structures from inadvertent injury. The footplate is introduced under the membrane, elevating it slightly, and then the membrane is cut while pushing the blade down into the footplate. The guillotine knife has been used in various endoscopic procedures such as septostomies, arachnoid cyst fenestrations, colloid cysts resections, and fenestrations of other intraventricular membranes. The authors think that the guillotine knife is a useful addition to the neuroendoscopic armamentarium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt;
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El Damaty
authors.forename: Jotham C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Manwaring
authors.forename: Henry W S
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Schroeder
mesh_terms: D016080:Arachnoid Cysts / Q000601:surgery; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000293:injuries; D002550:Cerebral Veins / Q000293:injuries; D056364:Colloid Cysts / Q000601:surgery; D004867:Equipment Design; D004864:Equipment and Supplies; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D008578:Meninges / Q000601:surgery*; D044583:Neuroendoscopy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: cystostomy; endoscopy; guillotine knife; intraoperative hemorrhage; intraventricular; septostomy; surgical technique