First “Themed” Issue for 2007

A little over a year ago, Skull Base: An Interdisciplinary Approach decided to commission guest editors to produce “themed” issues on topics of significant importance to skull base surgeons.

This issue is the first, and we welcome Professor Dan M. Fliss as guest editor, and thank him for producing this selection of interesting articles.

Reconstruction of the skull base after tumor resection or trauma is without doubt one of the most important parts of any operation. Failure to obtain an adequate repair commits the patient to further surgery and potentially serious, if not fatal, neurological sequelae.

Skull base reconstruction is also a topic that has seen radical change in the last few years with the development of free flap tissue transfer and the evolution and acceptance of minimally invasive and endoscopic techniques.

This collection of papers reflects this change in our practice and gives some insight into the future.