Pituitary tumor kept recurring, patient was indicated to open 2 incisions at the same time

In the past 4 years, the female patient had to undergo brain surgery twice due to the pituitary tumor continuously 'growing' back. Most recently, in the third surgery, doctors performed an endoscopy and skull surgery at the same time to 'clean' the tumor, minimizing the risk of recurrence.

Simultaneous endoscopic and open surgery to "clean" pituitary tumor

Two weeks after pituitary tumor surgery, on October 28, a 53-year-old female patient in Hanoi came for a follow-up examination at the Department of Neurosurgery 2, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital.

Regarding current health information, the patient said: "Before this surgery, I had my eyesight measured at the Eye Hospital, and my left eye was almost completely damaged, and my right eye was only 3/10. A few days after the surgery, my right eye was clearer, and my left eye could see light again."

After simultaneous craniotomy and endoscopic surgery through the nose to treat recurrent pituitary tumor, the female patient recovered her vision early.

PHOTO: LIEN CHAU

The patient said that this was her third pituitary tumor surgery. Previously, since 2021, she had had two pituitary tumor surgeries, due to the tumor constantly recurring, causing her eyes to droop and her vision to decrease severely.

Sharing about the above surgery, Dr. Nguyen Duy Tuyen, Head of Neurosurgery Department 2, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, said that this was a case of pituitary tumor recurrence after two endoscopic surgeries through the sphenoid sinus.

Before the third hospitalization, the tumor recurred, causing the patient to quickly lose vision. If the surgery was continued using the same incision, the risk of not completely removing the tumor and early recurrence was very high.

After careful consultation, the doctors decided to perform a combined surgery using two surgical approaches: craniotomy and endoscopic surgery through the nose, with the goal of removing as much of the patient's tumor as possible while still safely preserving important nerve structures.

Assessing this as a particularly rare surgery, requiring very precise coordination between two teams, Dr. Tuyen said that during the surgery, the first team performed endoscopy through the nose, using a high-resolution endoscopic camera to observe and separate the tumor deep in the skull base.

The second team performed microsurgery to open the skull, thoroughly treating the tumor that had invaded beyond the range that endoscopy could not reach.

"The parallel combination of two techniques helps doctors remove the entire tumor, while minimizing the risk of damage to the optic nerves and large blood vessels in the skull base area," said Dr. Tuyen.

The surgical team shared that after many hours of intense surgery, the tumor was completely removed. As soon as the patient woke up, he was alert, had good contact, and his vision had improved significantly. His right eye saw brighter, and his left eye, which had previously lost vision, now began to see again. The patient could eat and drink normally, and his health was progressing positively.

"This is the fifth case that Viet Duc Friendship Hospital has successfully performed the technique of combining two surgical approaches in treating recurrent pituitary tumors. Most of the patients had undergone multiple surgeries before, in some cases up to four surgeries. This new technique significantly reduces the risk of recurrence and post-operative complications," Dr. Tuyen shared.

Pituitary adenoma is an abnormal growth of tissue in the pituitary gland, a small gland located in the brain.

In the past, with pituitary tumors, doctors had to open the skull to access the tumor. In the past two decades, endoscopic techniques through the nose (sphenoid sinus) have become the main method thanks to their minimally invasive ability, helping patients recover quickly and reducing complications.

However, whether by open or endoscopic surgery, pituitary tumors are difficult to completely remove, and therefore, they are prone to recurrence.

New technique combining two surgical approaches in the treatment of pituitary tumors helps significantly reduce the risk of recurrence and post-operative complications.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u-tuyen-yen-lien-tuc-tai-phat-benh-nhan-duoc-chi-dinh-mo-cung-luc-2-duong-mo-185251029104416831.htm