Endoscopic Paranasal and Skull Base Surgery

• Chronic rhinosinusitis and its complications (intracranial/intraorbital)
• Benign nasal and paranasal sinus tumors (inverted papillomas, angiofibromas)
• Malignant nasal and paranasal sinus tumors (squamous cell carcinoma, olfactory neuroblastoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, adenocarcinoma) with or without intracranial extension
• Skull base tumors (pituitary adenomas, cholesterol granulomas, meningiomas, chordomas, chondrosarcomas)

Endoscopic Surgery

Endoscopic skull base surgery is currently considered the most advanced method for treating inflammatory and neoplastic conditions of the nose, paranasal sinuses and skull base. The procedures are performed completely endoscopically. This translates into shorter hospitalization, minimal scarring, fewer complications and faster recovery.

Endoscopic methods are not only used to avoid incisions. In chronic rhinosinusitis, functional endoscopic surgery does not affect the function of the paranasal sinuses, as it keeps all natural drainage passages open, avoiding complications and recurrences. Even more importantly, in benign and/or malignant paranasal sinus and skull base tumors, the endoscopic approach ensures more direct access to the tumor, better visualization and greater freedom of movements, often leading to more complete excision and fewer complications.

Since the establishment of the Department in 2015, we have performed more than 40 closures of skull base defects and have operated on more than 150 skull base tumors (including special cases such as chordomas, chondrosarcomas, olfactory neuroblastomas and other malignant paranasal sinus and skull base tumors).

The reason we have accumulated such a unique array of cases, not only from Greek but also from international referrals, is our technical know-how and long experience in extended endoscopic skull base surgery, coupled with our excellent partnership with the HYGEIA Hospital neurosurgery team.

• Rhinitis (viral, chronic allergic and non-allergic)
• Sinusitis/Rhinosinusitis (acute and chronic) 
• Nasal conditions associated with immunodeficiency
• Cystic fibrosis
  • Dermoid cysts
• Allergic/Fungal sinusitis
• Headache associated with paranasal sinuses
• Smell and taste disorders
• Graves’ disease with exophthalmos and epiphora/antrostomy
• Nasal septum deviation
• Rhinoplasty (cosmetic and/or functional)
• Nasal polyps 
• Paranasal sinus mucoceles
  • Benign tumors of the nose and paranasal sinuses (osteomas, juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas, inverted papillomas)
  • Malignant tumors of the nose and paranasal sinuses (olfactory neuroblastomas, adenocarcinomas, undifferentiated carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas)
  • Skull base tumors (chordomas, pituitary adenomas, petrous apex cholesterol granulomas, chondrosarcomas) 
  • Encephaloceles, meningoceles
• CSF leak

Educational Center/Fellowships

As an international Center of Excellence, each year, the Endoscopic Paranasal Sinus & Skull Base Surgery Department welcomes international fellows (surgical specialists/visitors) for training, as well as a large number of academic and other visitors from Greece and Cyprus.

Educational Seminars/Postgraduate Training

The following seminars are organized by the Department:

• Santo-Rhino: An international Rhinology & Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery seminar (with 120 visitors from 40 countries) held in Santorini every 2 years. (www.santorhino.org)
• Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery Masterclass workshops with hands-on cadaver practice held at the University of Leiden every year. (www.skullbasecourse.nl)
• Hands-on cadaver workshops held at the Evangelismos Hospital Research Center (www.fess.gr) every 2 years.
• Endoscopic Surgery One-Day Event with live surgery held at HYGEIA Hospital every year, with more than 150 participants.
• Participation and joint hosting of LION-ESS, the real-time Live International Endoscopic Sinus Surgery Broadcast, as one of the 7 international centers of excellence.

Academic achievements

As a center of excellence, we participated in creating international consensus statements on rhinosinusitis (ICARS 2016 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26889651), while in the last12 months, we have published 7 articles on PubMed on endoscopic paranasal sinus & skull base surgery. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=georgalas+c) 

Meanwhile, following the book Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery – Thieme http://www.thieme.com/books-main/otolaryngology/product/1421-rhinology-and-skull-base-surgery), we are in the process of publishing a new textbook on Surgical Approaches to the Frontal Sinus – Georgalas/Sama.