Department of Otolaryngology

Center for Skull Base Surgery

As part of UPMC's Department of Neurosurgery, doctors at the Center for Skull Base Surgery have vast experience in minimally invasive approaches to the skull base and brain. UPMC has been designated as a 2021 Multidisciplinary Team of Distinction by the North American Skull Base Society (NASBS).

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Common pituitary and skull base tumors and lesions we treat include:

  • Adenoma (pituitary tumors)
  • Angiofibroma
  • Basilar invagination
  • Chordoma
  • Craniopharyngioma ​
  • Meningioma
  • Olfactory neuroblastoma
  • Optic nerve compression
  • Rathke's cleft cyst
  • Sinus tumors

Advanced Treatment Options for Skull Base Tumors

Depending on your condition and the location of your tumor, UPMC offers two preferred treatment options:

  • Endoscopic Endonasal Approach (EEA) — pioneered at UPMC, EEA is an innovative surgical technique that removes brain tumors and lesions all through the nose.
  • Gamma Knife® Radiosurgery — this painless treatment uses radiation beams to target tumors and lesions, with no incisions.

Our team works to find the technique — or combination of techniques — that offers you the greatest chance of returning to normal life.

Meet our pituitary and skull base tumor experts at the Department of Neurosurgery.

Why Choose UPMC for Skull Base Surgery?

  • The UPMC Center for Skull Base Surgery has been a leader in skull base surgery for over 20 years.
  • Since 1997, our surgical team has performed more than 800 endonasal skull base surgeries in adults and children for all kinds of noncancerous and cancerous conditions.
  • Nationally and internationally recognized as one of the leading centers for skull base surgery, we receive consultations and patient referrals from all parts of North America as well as other continents.
  • Surgeons from institutions throughout the United States and other countries come to Pittsburgh to learn about the latest minimally invasive skull base treatment techniques.