Cyprus’ only interdisciplinary skull base team at Okypy’s Nicosia General Hospital

By Dr Andreas Anagiotos

Nicosia General Hospital, under the State Health Services Organisation (Okypy), houses the sole interdisciplinary skull base team in Cyprus. This highly-specialised unit focuses on the treatment of skull base conditions such as inflammation, injuries and benign and malignant tumours.

A complex anatomical area

The skull base is a complex region, replete with numerous openings through which the spinal cord, an extensive network of blood vessels, and vital nerves traverse. It serves as the lower boundary, or ‘floor,’ of the cranial cavity, and simultaneously forms the upper boundary, or ‘roof,’ for adjacent head structures, including the paranasal sinuses, the orbit (eye socket), the ear and mastoid cells. As the boundary interface between these structures and the brain, the skull base is a complex area, and any interventions for treating associated conditions, necessitate highly-specialised expertise and state-of-the-art medical equipment. Okypy has acquired and currently operates such equipment for the management of relevant conditions to the skull base.

Utilising modern surgical approaches

The interdisciplinary skull base team at Nicosia General Hospital is composed of neurosurgeons, otolaryngologists and interventional radiologists, reflecting similar teams in major medical centres worldwide. Managing these demanding and complex cases requires the application of modern surgical approaches, making use of cutting-edge equipment available at Nicosia General Hospital. This equipment includes modern surgical microscopes, endoscopes, and 4K endoscopy system towers, an intraoperative neuronavigation system, an O-Arm intraoperative imaging system, as well as an intraoperative neurophysiological Central Nervous System monitoring system for the assessment of cranial nerves’ functionality, movement and sensation.

Excellence through continuous education

Our team of specialists undergoes continuous training in skull base surgery to ensure the best possible outcome in every case they handle. This ongoing education includes active participation in seminars and attendance of relevant postgraduate programmes at major universities abroad.

The scope of interventions conducted by our team includes:

• Endoscopic pituitary tumour surgery
• Endoscopic assisted resection of frontal and lateral skull base tumours
• Endoscopic repair of frontal skull base meningoceles
• Endoscopic reconstruction of anterior skull base defects – Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) leaks
• Resection of jugular foramen paragangliomas (glomus jugulare tumours)
• Resection of tympanic paragangliomas (glomus tympanicum tumours)
• Resection of vestibular schwannomas and acoustic neuromas

Efficient services

The Hospital’s skull base team has earned a solid reputation for delivering specialised health services at the highest international safety standards. The team routinely performs specialised and complex operations on the frontal, occipital and latero-posterior skull base.

You can contact the Skull Base Team at Nicosia General Hospital through the Okypy website, or by phone at the following numbers: 22603494 (Neurosurgery Clinic), 22603508 (Otolaryngology – ENT Clinic), and 22603550 (call centre).

Dr Andreas Anagiotos is the Assistant Director and Coordinator of the Cochlear and Other Auditory Implants Centre, Otolaryngology–ENT Clinic, Nicosia General Hospital, Okypy