In this 1974 program, produced by the Emory University School of Medicine, Dr. George Tindall gives a presentation on the use of the transsphenoidal microsurgical approach to the pituitary gland. Dr. Tindall believes this operation has value in terms of reaching the pituitary for patients with acromegaly and microadenomas, patients with pituitary tumors that do not extend too far above the sella, and for the total ablation of the pituitary in the treatment of disseminated prostatic and breast cancer. The major two advantages of the transsphenoidal approach are that one can achieve a total removal of the pituitary or selectively remove small tumors and spare normal pituitary function, and that it is a much less traumatic procedure on a patient than a formal craniotomy. However, the procedure is technically difficult to perform and not without risk. Dr. Tindall presents a case study of a patient named Mr. Hardin, who is present on stage for the first part of the lecture and speaks about his experiences before and after the operation. The rest of the presentation is a series of slides illustrating the procedures involved in performing this surgery and additional information about the outcomes and rationales for its use.
Copyright:
The National Library of Medicine believes this item to be in the public domain. (More information)