Piezosurgery for the repair of middle cranial fossa meningoencephaloceles.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the use of a piezosurgery medical device to perform a craniotomy and produce a split calvarial graft for the repair of middle cranial fossa meningoencephaloceles.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective case review.

SETTING

Tertiary referral hospital.

PATIENTS

Ten consecutive patients undergoing middle cranial fossa approach for the repair of meningoencephaloceles.

INTERVENTION

Therapeutic.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Intraoperative and postoperative complications, success rate as defined by the ability to fashion a split calvarial graft that achieves complete closure of the tegmen defect. As a secondary outcome measure, evidence of integration of the split calvarial bone graft with the adjacent skull base was assessed.

RESULTS

There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. An appropriately sized calvarial bone graft was produced, and complete closure of the tegmen defect was achieved in all 10 cases. Computed tomography demonstrated evidence of integration of the bone graft in eight cases between 4 and 9 months after surgery.

CONCLUSION

The piezosurgery medical device provides a safe and effective means by which the middle fossa craniotomy and split calvarial bone graft can be produced to repair defects of the middle fossa tegmen, with integration of the bone graft in the majority of cases.