Reconstruction in skull base surgery: Review of current concepts

Surgical resection plays a main role in the management of complex tumors involving the skull base. Advances in reconstructive surgery has made these resections to be carried out with less morbidity and better outcome in terms of disease control and functional rehabilitation. The reconstruction methods range from utilizing local galeal tissue to distant tissues transferred as free flaps. The reconstructive methods can be grouped according to the area of the skull base reconstructed, namely, the anterior, middle or posterior skull base. The article reviews the anatomical tissue requirement at each of these subsites and the suitable method available. At the end of the article, the readers should be able to understand the anatomical and functional requirements after skull base resection and should be able to plan the reconstruction using an algorithmic approach.

Keywords
Craniofacial resection, free flaps, local flaps, skull base reconstruction