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Perioperative Challenges During Posterior Fossa Surgery

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Essentials of Neurosurgical Anesthesia & Critical Care

Abstract

The posterior fossa contains vital brainstem centers for respiration, the ­cardiovascular system and consciousness as well the cranial nerves and their nuclei. This high concentration of delicate structures, added to the poor accessibility, makes posterior cranial fossa surgery a major challenge for the neurosurgeon. When such surgery is performed in the sitting position, additional neuroanesthesiological risks ensue, notably midcervical myelopathy and venous air embolism (VAE). This chapter is based on the authors’ personal experience with more than 2,500 posterior fossa procedures performed in the sitting or semi-sitting position.

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Suggested Reading

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Management, Academic Teaching Hospital Hannover Nordstadt, Hannover, Germany

    Martin Schott MD & Jan-Peter A. H. Jantzen MD, PhD, DEAA

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, International Neuroscience Institute (INI), Hannover, Germany

    Dieter Suhr MD

Authors
  1. Martin Schott MD
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  2. Dieter Suhr MD
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  3. Jan-Peter A. H. Jantzen MD, PhD, DEAA
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martin Schott MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, and Perioperative Medicine, Professor, University School of Medicine, Portland, 97214, Oregon, USA

    Ansgar M. Brambrink

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, and Perioperative Medicine, Professor and Chair, University School of Medicine, Portland, 97214, Oregon, USA

    Jeffrey R. Kirsch

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© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Schott, M., Suhr, D., Jantzen, JP.A.H. (2012). Perioperative Challenges During Posterior Fossa Surgery. In: Brambrink, A., Kirsch, J. (eds) Essentials of Neurosurgical Anesthesia & Critical Care. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09562-2_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09562-2_22

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-09561-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-09562-2

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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