Pterion Prep
Chief/attending-level case preparation — positioning, step-by-step technique, critical anatomy, figures, and dictation-ready operative notes.
107 guides
18 categories
18 approach chapters
cranial · spine · vascular · functional · peds
How to use
- Filter above or browse by region to open the relevant guide.
- Review positioning, approach, critical anatomy, and the step-by-step technique; use linked approach chapters for corridor-level detail.
- Copy the guide and fill bracketed fields with patient specifics only in your own secure system, not in this public repository.
🧭Operative ApproachesCorridor-by-corridor technique chapters18 chapters
📐CraniProInteractive Mayfield pin placement and positioning simulator3D app
🗺️Approach MapLinked corridors by region, target, and typical case useglobal map
💡Approach SelectionDecision aids — which corridor for which lesion (comparison tables)decision tables
🧠CranialVascular · tumor / skull base · trauma · CSF · functional50 guides
🎯Stereotactic & EndovascularBiopsy · radiosurgery · LITT · neurointervention12 guides
🦴SpineDegenerative · tumor · trauma · deformity · functional35 guides
⚡Peripheral & PediatricNerve · plexus · pediatric neurosurgery10 guides
📚Resources & Templateorders · media sources · blank templatetoolkit
⚠️ Educational reference — not medical advice. Summarizes standard teaching; verify against primary sources, current guidelines, institutional protocols, device instructions, and attending judgment before any patient care. See the full disclaimer.
🧭 Operative Approaches — detailed technique chapters
The granular “how it’s set up” reference per surgical corridor: positioning (exact degrees, pin placement), incision landmarks, soft-tissue planes, bone work, dural opening, intradural steps, surgeon nuances & pitfalls, with figures. Pathology guides link here.
▶ Approach selection — decision aids — comparison tables: which corridor for which lesion.
⌖ Global Approach Map — linked corridors by region, target, exposure, and representative case guides.
- Pterional (frontotemporal) craniotomy
- Retrosigmoid (retromastoid) craniotomy
- Orbitozygomatic (FTOZ) craniotomy
- Subtemporal craniotomy (± zygomatic osteotomy / Kawase)
- Far-lateral (transcondylar) craniotomy
- Anterior interhemispheric / transcallosal
- Supracerebellar-infratentorial
- Midline suboccipital craniotomy
- Endoscopic endonasal (transsphenoidal / transtuberculum / transclival)
- Supraorbital “eyebrow” keyhole craniotomy
- Telovelar (fourth ventricle) approach
- Presigmoid / petrosal approaches
- Bifrontal (subfrontal) craniotomy
- Anterior cervical (Smith-Robinson) approach
- Posterior cervical approach
- Posterior thoracolumbar (Wiltse / midline) approach
- Transpsoas lateral (LLIF / XLIF / OLIF) approach
- Transthoracic (anterior thoracic) approach
📚 Resources & Templates
- Top 100 Neurosurgery Resources — textbooks, atlases, platforms, journals, operative references
- Perioperative logistics & orders quick reference — postop destination, OR setup, monitoring, MAP/BP, steroid/device/drain, and postop order blocks
- Weekly freshness watch — auto-generated PubMed, CNS video, and Atlas candidates for review
- Custom domains setup — DNS records for pterionprep.com and cranipro.com
- Global Approach Map — linked cranial, skull-base, spine, endovascular, and stereotactic corridors
- Curated media & figure sources — where the figures come from (and licensing)
- CNS Video Library embeds — mapped CNS videos and where they are embedded in the guide set
- Master Case-Prep Template — blank template with every section
🧠 Cranial
Vascular (8)
- MCA aneurysm clipping
- AComA aneurysm clipping
- PComA aneurysm clipping
- Basilar apex (tip) aneurysm
- AVM resection
- Cavernous malformation
- EC-IC bypass (STA-MCA)
- Decompressive craniectomy (malignant MCA)
Tumor / Skull Base (19)
- Convexity meningioma
- Parasagittal / falx meningioma
- Sphenoid wing meningioma
- Olfactory groove meningioma
- Tuberculum sellae meningioma
- Petroclival meningioma
- Pituitary adenoma (endoscopic transsphenoidal)
- Craniopharyngioma
- Glioma resection (supratentorial)
- Insular glioma
- Cerebral metastasis
- Vestibular schwannoma
- Epidermoid tumor
- Colloid cyst
- Posterior fossa tumor
- Pineal region tumor
- Clival chordoma
- Foramen magnum meningioma (far lateral)
- Jugular foramen tumor (glomus / schwannoma)
Trauma (6)
- Acute subdural hematoma
- Chronic subdural hematoma
- Epidural hematoma
- Depressed skull fracture
- Decompressive craniectomy (TBI)
- Cranioplasty
CSF / Hydrocephalus + Shunt module (10)
- EVD placement
- VP shunt placement
- Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV)
- Lumbar drain placement
- Shunt systems & valves reference
- Ventriculoatrial (VA) shunt
- Ventriculopleural (VPL) shunt
- Lumboperitoneal (LP) shunt
- Subduroperitoneal shunt
- Shunt revision / exploration
Functional (7)
- MVD for trigeminal neuralgia
- MVD for hemifacial spasm
- Chiari I decompression
- DBS lead placement
- Anterior temporal lobectomy (epilepsy)
- SEEG depth electrode placement
- Awake craniotomy with mapping
🎯 Stereotactic · Ablative · Endovascular
Brain Biopsy (4 + reference)
- Biopsy systems & platforms reference
- Frame-based stereotactic biopsy (Leksell / CRW)
- Frameless (navigation) stereotactic biopsy
- Robot-assisted biopsy (ROSA / Mazor)
- Open brain biopsy
Radiosurgery / Ablative (2)
- Stereotactic radiosurgery (Gamma Knife / LINAC / CyberKnife)
- Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT)
Endovascular (5)
- Aneurysm coiling / stent-assist / flow diversion
- AVM / dAVF embolization
- Mechanical thrombectomy (acute stroke / LVO)
- Carotid endarterectomy (CEA)
- Carotid angioplasty & stenting (CAS)
🦴 Spine
Degenerative (13)
- ACDF
- Cervical disc arthroplasty
- Posterior cervical laminectomy & fusion
- Cervical laminoplasty
- Posterior cervical foraminotomy
- Lumbar microdiscectomy
- Lumbar laminectomy (stenosis)
- TLIF
- ALIF
- Lateral interbody fusion (XLIF / OLIF)
- Thoracic discectomy
- Anterior thoracic corpectomy
- Sacroiliac (SI) joint fusion
Tumor (3)
- Intradural extramedullary tumor (meningioma / schwannoma)
- Intramedullary spinal cord tumor
- Vertebral corpectomy & reconstruction
Trauma (8)
- Odontoid (type II) fracture fixation
- Subaxial cervical fracture / dislocation
- Central cord syndrome
- Thoracolumbar burst fracture
- Flexion-distraction (Chance) injury
- Sacral fracture / spinopelvic fixation
- Penetrating spine injury (GSW / stab)
- Occipitocervical fusion
Vascular (3)
- Spinal dural arteriovenous fistula (dAVF)
- Spinal AVM (intramedullary / perimedullary)
- Spinal cord cavernous malformation
Congenital / CSF (2)
Infection (2)
Deformity (2)
- Adult spinal deformity correction (SPO / PSO / VCR)
- Vertebral augmentation (kyphoplasty / vertebroplasty)
Functional (2)
⚡ Peripheral Nerve & Pediatric
Peripheral Nerve (4)
- Carpal tunnel release
- Cubital tunnel / ulnar nerve transposition
- Peripheral nerve sheath tumor
- Brachial plexus injury (exploration / graft / transfer)