Superciliary keyhole surgery for unruptured posterior communicating artery aneurysms with oculomotor nerve palsy: maximizing symptomatic resolution and minimizing surgical invasiveness

Journal of Neurosurgery Oct 2011 / Vol. 115 / No. 4 / Pages 700-706

For oculomotor nerve palsy (ONP) induced by unruptured posterior communicating artery (PCoA) aneurysms, the authors performed surgical clipping via a superciliary keyhole approach as an optimal treatment modality with high efficiency and low invasiveness. In this study, they then evaluated the technical feasibility, safety, clinical outcomes, including recovery from ONP as well as cosmetic results, and durability of the procedure.

METHODS Thirteen patients presenting with complete (7 patients) or incomplete (6 patients) ONP underwent surgery via a superciliary approach. The operative video record was used to evaluate the technical feasibility, neurological examinations and CT were performed to analyze the safety of the treatment, and neuroophthalmological examinations and 3D CT angiography were undertaken to determine the effectiveness and durability of the treatment.

RESULTS In all cases, the aneurysms were successfully clipped using a 3.5-cm eyebrow incision and supraorbital minicraniotomy. The mean operative time was 108 ± 24 minutes. Twelve (92.3%) of the 13 patients showed complete resolution of the ONP. All 6 patients (100%) with incomplete ONP recovered completely within 1–2 months after surgery, whereas 6 (85.7%) of the 7 patients with complete ONP recovered completely within 1–6 months after surgery. Cosmetic results for the operative wounds were excellent without frontalis palsy. The durability of the treatment was ascertained based on 3D CT angiograms obtained 1 year after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS Surgical clipping via a superciliary keyhole approach can be an optimal treatment modality for PCoA aneurysms inducing ONP because it is effective, safe, and durable.

Superciliary Keyhole Approach for Small Unruptured Aneurysms in Anterior Cerebral Circulation

Neurosurgery 68[ONS Suppl 2]:ons300–ons309, 2011 DOI: 10.1227/NEU.0b013e3182124810

Neurovascular surgeons have been trying to find a solution to the problem of surgical invasiveness by applying minimally invasive keyhole approaches.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility and surgical outcomes of a superciliary keyhole approach for unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) as an alternative to a pterional approach.

METHODS: The authors report on a consecutive series of patients who underwent a superciliary approach for clipping UIAs smaller than 15 mm arising at the supraclinoid internal carotid artery (ICA), A1 segment, anterior communicating artery (ACoA), and M1 segment including the middle cerebral artery (MCA) bifurcation. The data were compared with a historical control group (n = 90) who underwent a pterional approach for UIAs.

RESULTS: A total of 120 aneurysms were successfully clipped in 102 patients with a mean age of 58 years. There was no direct mortality related to the surgery, and only 1 (1.0%) patient developed significant morbidity adversely affecting the Glasgow Outcome Scale score. The superciliary approach demonstrated statistically significant advantages over the pterional approach, including a shorter operative duration (mean, 120 min), no intraoperative blood transfusion, and extremely rare postoperative epidural hemorrhages. In addition, temporalis atrophy was rare and palsy of the frontalis persisting more than 6 months only occurred in 6 patients (5.9%) and was resolved within 2 years. The overall cosmetic outcome was excellent.

CONCLUSION: A superciliary approach can be a reasonable alternative to a pterional approach for small (,15 mm) UIAs arising at the supraclinoid ICA, A1, ACoA, and M1 segment including the MCA bifurcation.