Endoscopic surgery of the paranasal sinuses and skull base neoplasms with the use of the computerassisted navigation system (CANS) in pediatric practice

Background: In the last 10 years, the use of computer-assisted navigation systems (CANS) in endo-nasal endoscopic surgery of the paranasal sinuses and skull base in adults has been well studied. In pediatric practice, isolated cases of the use of this method have been described, with most of patients suffering from various types of sinusitis. Aim: To improve efficacy of the transnasal surgery for sinonasal, nasopharyngeal and skull base neoplasms in pediatric patients. Materials and methods: 77 patients aged from 22 days to 18 years with various nasal, nasopharyngeal, paranasal and skull base neoplasms were divided into two groups depending on the surgical technique. The main group included 40 patients in whom CANS guided surgery was used and the control group comprised 37 patients operated without CANS. Each group was divided into two subgroups based upon the complexity of the intervention (in subgroup 1, it was a biopsy and in subgroup 2, tumor excision). Results: There were no significant differences between 1st subgroups of both groups in the intervention duration, intra-operative blood loss, number of post-operative days in the hospital. Compared to the patients from the subgroup 2 of the control group, in those from the subgroup 2 of the main group the duration of intervention decreased by 60 minutes (p = 0.038, Mann-Whitney U-test), intra-operative blood loss decreased by half (p = 0.044, Mann-Whitney U-test), duration of hospital stay, by 2 days (p = 0.02, Student's t-test). The rates of radical excision was higher in the main group (p = 0.02, Fischer's exact test). Conclusion: The use of CANS in endonasal surgery allows for reduction of the intervention time and anesthesia duration, minimizes blood loss, is associated with earlier post-operative rehabilitation of children.