North Bristol Skull Base Fellowship

Based at: North Bristol NHS Trust 

Surgical Specialty Association approving: RCS England

Approval period: December 2016–February 2023

Supervisor/Lead Consultant: Mr David Porter, Consultant Neurosurgeon

Fellowship duration: 12 months

Stated learning outcomes:

• Understanding of the holistic management of skull base and pituitary patients - both surgical and non-surgical.
• The ability to work cohesively within a team comprising neurosurgeons, ENT surgeons, Oncologists and Endocrinologists.

Clinical competencies to be achieved:

• Competence in endoscopic approaches to the skull base, pituitary and sellar regions
• Competence in retro sigmoid, pre-sigmoid, translabyrinthine and subtemporal approaches to the skull base
• Competence in pre-and post-operative assessment and counselling of patients

The number of main operations the fellow could expect to be involved in:

Supervisor 2016: “Annual caseload – approx. 150 cases: pituitary (30-40), acoustic neuroma (10-20), Skull base meningiomata (30-40), other (epidermoid cyst/cholesteatoma/craniopharyngioma/Rathke’s cyst – 10-20), Gamma Knife radiosurgery (20-30), major combined anterior fossa/orbital approaches (10). Annual caseload is expected to increase with the recent appointment of a 3rd Consultant in skull base neurosurgery.”

Fellows awarded Fellowship Certificate (dates of Fellowship):

• Kursheed Ansari (Mar 2021 - Mar 2022)