title: The transition from microscopic to endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery: the experience at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  As interest and enthusiasm for the use of the endoscope in transsphenoidal anterior skull base and pituitary surgery increases, neurosurgeons are increasingly adopting endoscopic technology and associated novel concepts. Often this involves a transition from the standard operating microscope as the main means of visualization to the operating endoscope (2D or 3D) during surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors' experience with this transition is described, including the rationale, advantages and disadvantages of the two surgical techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The successful use of endoscopic surgery for a large variety of pathological problems involving the anterior skull base and the pituitary region is presented. Perceived advantages for the patient and the surgeon are described, as is the occasional need for transition back to the microscopic approach.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The endoscopic approach and its allied technology are here to stay. They are useful and occasionally preferable methods for treating a variety of suitable lesions involving the anterior skull base. The importance of incorporating the basic principles of skull base surgery is emphasized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Electronic address: elaws@partners.org.
authors.forename: Edward R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Laws
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Garni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barkhoudarian
mesh_terms: D004724:Endoscopy / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000639:trends*; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000639:trends*; D019291:Skull Base / Q000601:surgery*; D019292:Skull Base Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D013100:Sphenoid Bone / Q000601:surgery*
keywords: Anterior skull base surgery; Endoscopy; Microscopic surgery; Operative technique; Transsphenoidal surgery