The learning curve for endoscopic endonasal pituitary surgery: a systematic review

Abstract

Recent literature demonstrates that a learning curve exists for endoscopic pituitary surgery. However, there is significant variability in the way these studies report their outcomes. This study aims to systematically review the literature regarding outcomes for endoscopic pituitary surgery and how this may be related to a surgical learning curve. An electronic search of the databases Medline, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases was performed and data extracted according 2020 Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Ten articles were included in the review as they examined the following: rates of gross total resection, average operative time, CSF leak rate, visual outcomes, endocrine outcomes and how these results were influenced by surgical experience. We have demonstrated that a learning curve exists for some outcome variables for endoscopic pituitary surgery. However, there is significant heterogeneity in the current body of literature which makes clear comparisons difficult.

Neuroimaging of Brain Tumor Surgery and Epilepsy

“…Thereafter, the best surgical approaches should be selected. Recently, endoscopic surgery has been introduced and is becoming popular, especially in the fields of pituitary surgery [1,2] and skull base surgery [3,4]. For epilepsy surgery, in addition to these structural imaging techniques, neurophysiological information acquired via electroencephalography and magnetoencephalography and functional information acquired via positron emission tomography (PET) are necessary for decision making.…”