A Practical Guide to Repairing Rhinologic Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks (2023 AMW) Session
2023 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO Experience
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: There is a broad spectrum of sinonasal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak repairs that range from spontaneous, to iatrogenic, to straightforward transphenoidal post-operative cases. While there have been a number of different descriptions on repair techniques, we would like to provide a step-by-step surgical plan for any practitioner who may encounter any of these scenarios to provide a safe surgical method for repair and post-operative management. We will also review pitfalls in reconstruction that have led to additional complications in sinonasal CSF leak repairs.OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 1: Identify case scenarios of patients who have or are at risk for development of CSF leaks.OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 2: Intraoperative management of CSF leaks in an algorithmic pattern to ensure long-term success.OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 3: Identify techniques that may lead to reconstructive failure or postoperative complications.BACKGROUND STATEMENT: While most CSF leak repairs are performed by rhinologists, we feel there is a need for general practitioners to understand the basic principles and if a leak is identified preoperatively or during a sinus case, have the skill set for straightforward reconstruction and postoperative management.