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Conditions and Treatment
What to Expect at your Visit
- When you come to the office, please bring any questionnaires or surveys that were sent to you. It is also important to bring all past medical and treatment records, pathology reports from previous biopsies, and images such as CT or MRI scans. If you can send this information before your appointment so that it can be scanned into your chart and reviewed by your provider, that is even better.
- During your visit, your provider will obtain a detailed history and perform an examination which may include a nasal endoscopy, which is a camera that is used to evaluate your nose, sinuses, and skull base. Numbing spray will be used to make the camera more comfortable. It takes less than a minute to perform but can offer lots of great insight into your condition and future treatment plan. If a tissue biopsy and/or imaging (CT, MRI, or both) have already been obtained, these will be reviewed with you by your provider during the appointment. If these have not been obtained but are necessary for treatment planning, your provider will discuss this with you. A biopsy can usually be performed in the office, but sometimes requires going to the operating room if the tumor is in a spot that is difficult to access, or if the tumor has the potential to bleed a lot. Any imaging that is ordered will be scheduled to occur in the days or weeks after your appointment.
- Once all the important information about your condition has been obtained, a diagnosis will be given and treatment planning will start. If it is a benign (non-cancerous) tumor, your provider will discuss the option of surgery and go over the steps of this with you. If it is a malignant (cancerous) tumor, your case will be presented at the weekly Multi-Disciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Tumor Board with all the experts in pathology, radiology, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy present. Based on this discussion, a treatment plan tailored to your tumor (surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation) will be recommended.
Patient Education
- Learn More About the Minimally Invasive Skull Base Surgery Center (pdf)