Lateral Transorbital Approach for Intracranial Aneurysm Surgery

Complications associated with surgical approaches and clipping for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms are a major issue. Efforts have been dedicated to developing minimally invasive interventions and reducing complications associated with the surgical procedure. They have also helped expose neurovascular structures, the need for manipulation, and complications associated with clipping. Due to the proximity of the base of the brain to the orbital cavity, endoscopic transorbital approaches have been highly successful in tumor surgery. Aneurysms can also be clipped through microsurgical methods via lateral orbito-zygoma-sphenoidotomy, a variation of the lateral transorbital approach. This more extended approach provides a wider surgical entry area and allows microsurgical dissection to expose blind spots and check regional anatomical structures following clipping. As the transorbital approaches continue to evolve, they will become even less invasive due to the advantages of the orbital anatomical features and technological advancements. We believe that intracranial aneurysm clipping via the transorbital approach will soon be able to compete with endovascular interventions.