Ömer Şahin
Annals of Clinical and Analytical Medicine - 2026;17(1):39-42
Aim: Skull base training in neurosurgery is challenging due to difficult anatomical variations in brain tissue, adjacent vascular structures, and cranial nerves. The aim of our study was to develop a cadaveric sheep head model simulating transnasal transsphenoidal pituitary surgery for neurosurgery residents to receive basic anatomical training and develop the necessary neurosurgical skills. Materials and Methods: The material consists of veterinary-controlled sheep heads with the scalp removed from a local butcher. Results: The skull was placed in a neutral position. The inferior turbinate was lateralized. The nasal septum was found, and preparation was made for the flap. The nasoseptal flap was overturned. The sphenoid sinus was drilled with a hand drill. After identifying the anatomical landmarks, the sella floor was opened, and the sella dura was reached. In the final stage, the surgical field was closed with a n asoseptal flap. Discussion: The use of cadaveric sheep head models in the study, even though it is not a model with a blood supply, increases familiarity with the stages of surgery and mimics the endoscope maneuvers appropriate to the stages, suggesting that it will help to pass the learning steps in real surgery more quickly and safely.
