BACKGROUND The advent of the operating microscope (OM) revolutionized the field of neurosurgery. It allowed surgeons to operate on and effectively treat diseases previously inaccessible with conventional eyesight because of magnification and illumination. Improvements in the essential methods of visualization and the quality of the optics have plateaued. Another main limitation of the OM remains its ergonomics because of the need of the surgeon and assistant to directly interface with the OM objective. Recently, exoscopes have been introduced to overcome some shortcomings of the conventional OM. OBJECTIVE To subjectively review the individual authors experience with the current exoscope platforms in an attempt to provide a resource to the neurosurgeon when considering imaging options. METHODS Experts with previous use of each individual platform were contacted and asked to contribute their experiences. RESULTS In total, 4 systems are discussed. They include the VITOM (Karl Storz, Tuttlingen, Germany), the Olympus ORBEYE (Olympus, Tokyo, Japan), the Synaptive Modus V (Synaptive Medical, Toronto, Canada), and the Zeiss KINEVO (Carl Zeiss AG, Oberkochen, Germany). CONCLUSION The advent of exoscopes has the potential to begin to allow surgeons to move beyond solely the microscope for intraoperative visualization while improving upon its ergonomic disadvantages.

The approach was safely performed in all patients with a relatively high rate of clot evacuation and functional independence.

The proposed endoscopic classification outlines key anatomic reference points independent of the vessel's geometry or the sinonasal pneumatization, thus serving as (1) a practical guide to navigate the ventral cranial base while avoiding injury to the ICA and (2) further foundation for a modular access system.

While the global surgery community has made tremendous progress in establishing baseline values of surgical capacity in LMICs around the world, further work is necessary to build upon and apply the foundational knowledge established through these efforts. Capacity assessment data should be coordinated and used in ongoing research efforts to monitor and evaluate progress in global surgery and to develop targeted intervention strategies. Intervention strategy development may also be further incorporated into the evaluation process itself.

OBJECTIVEThe ventral jugular foramen and the infrapetrous region are difficult to access through conventional lateral and posterolateral approaches. Endoscopic endonasal approaches to this region are obstructed by the eustachian tube (ET). This study presents a novel strategy for mobilizing the ET while preserving its integrity. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons with previous ET management paradigms are also presented.METHODSTen dry skulls were analyzed. Four ET management strategies were sequentially performed on a total of 6 sides of cadaveric head specimens. Four measurement groups were generated: in group A, the ET was intact and not mobilized; in group B, the ET was mobilized inferolaterally; in group C, the ET underwent anterolateral mobilization; and in group D, the ET was resected. ET range of mobilization, surgical exposure area, and surgical freedom were measured and compared among the groups.RESULTSWide exposure of the infrapetrous region and jugular foramen was achieved by removing the pterygoid process, unroofing the cartilaginous ET up to the level of the posterior aspect of the foramen ovale, and detaching the ET from the skull base and soft palate. Anterolateral mobilization of the ET facilitated significantly more retraction (a 126% increase) of the ET than inferolateral mobilization (mean ± SD: 20.8 ± 11.2 mm vs 9.2 ± 3.6 mm [p = 0.02]). Compared with group A, groups C and D had enhanced surgical exposure (142.5% [1176.9 ± 935.7 mm2] and 155.9% [1242.0 ± 1096.2 mm2], respectively, vs 485.4 ± 377.6 mm2 for group A [both p = 0.02]). Furthermore, group C had a significantly larger surgical exposure area than group B (p = 0.02). No statistically significant difference was found between the area of exposure obtained by ET removal and anterolateral mobilization. Anterolateral mobilization of the ET resulted in a 39.5% increase in surgical freedom toward the exocranial jugular foramen compared with that obtained through inferolateral mobilization of the ET (67.2° ± 20.5° vs 48.1° ± 6.7° [p = 0.047]) and a 65.4% increase compared with that afforded by an intact ET position (67.2° ± 20.5° vs 40.6° ± 14.3° [p = 0.03]).CONCLUSIONSAnterolateral mobilization of the ET provides excellent access to the ventral jugular foramen and infrapetrous region. The surgical exposure obtained is superior to that achieved with other ET management strategies and is comparable to that obtained by ET resection.