A- Clinical study:
The clinical study was a prospective one. The study was performed on
patients admitted to “blinded for review” along one calendar year. All
patients gave informed consent after the nature of the research has been
fully explained to them and the research was approved by Institutional
Review Board of the faculty according to Helsinky declaration (ethical
research number 0201021). We used the Karl Storz second generation 3D HD
endoscope that utilizes the ‘dual chip-on-the-tip’ technology with two
lenses on the tip of the endoscope, Medtronic navigation system and
Panasonic 3D polarizing glasses which filter less light than
conventional polarizing glasses, so the operating room was not required
to be dark. The 3D polarizing glasses fit over normal glasses worn by
surgeons. This phase was performed on 52 endonasal and anterior skull
base cases (26 control cases using 2D endoscope and 26 study cases using
3D endoscope (Figures 1 and 2). Duration of surgery, accuracy (frequency
of navigation system use), intraoperative complications, and surgeon
discomfort were recorded.