CLASSIFICATION OF FACIAL TRANSLOCATION APPROACH TO THE SKULL BASE

OBJECTIVE: To categorize a surgical approach to the skull base. DESIGN : Retrospective assessment of an evolving concept pertaining to the fa cial translocation procedure. SETTING: Schematic/conceptual. MAIN OUTC OME MEASURES: To allow favorable surgical reach of the essential anato my at the cranial base with the potential for functional and esthetic reconstruction. INTERVENTION: Systematic craniofacial disassembly. RES ULTS: The facial translocation technique of modular craniofacial disas sembly of facial units permits a satisfactory match between a skull ba se tumor and a selected surgical approach. Individual units have a com plementary relationship to one another, allowing an expansion of the s urgical approach as needed.