title: Reconstruction of the anterior skull base after major trauma or extensive tumour resection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The authors describe their experience with the reconstruction of complex anterior skull base defects after trauma or tumour resection using a "sandwich" technique with pericranial flap, titanium mesh and TachoSil.
  
  
  METHODS
  Description of surgical anatomy, surgical technique, indications, limitations, complications, specific perioperative considerations and specific information to give to the patient about surgery and potential risks. A summary of ten key points is given.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After a bifrontal craniotomy and a subfrontal approach, it is possible to achieve a reliable reconstruction of the anterior skull base in a watertight manner by fixing a pericranial flap or a fascia lata graft to the orbital roofs and planum sphenoidale with an individually tailored titanium mesh and closing the frontobasal dura leasion with TachoSil.
authors.affiliation: Neurochirurgische Klinik, Klinikum Karlsruhe, Moltkestr. 90, 76133, Karlsruhe, Germany, koenig_de@web.de.
authors.forename: Stefan Alexander
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: König
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ranguis
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gramlich
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Spetzger
mesh_terms: D003399:Craniotomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D019291:Skull Base / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D019292:Skull Base Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000601:surgery; D014025:Titanium
chemical_list: D014025:Titanium