Weill Cornell Neurological Surgery

Endoscopic Cyst Fenestration

This minimally invasive procedure is used to fenestrate, or open, congenital or acquired cysts in the brain, such as arachnoid cysts. It is a safe, relatively short procedure that equalizes pressure between the cyst and the brain.

Endoscopic cyst fenestration is an alternative to open fenestration or the placement of a shunt (a permanent drainage system). Cyst fenestration has a high success rate, and shunt placement is a relatively simple procedure Ð endoscopic cyst fenestration combines the best of these two procedures.

In an endoscopic cyst fenestration, a neurosurgeon uses an instrument called an endoscope, a type of tube with a camera, to open the cyst. The procedure averages 30 minutes to 1 hour, and patients can return home the following day.

See more about Arachnoid Cysts

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