Microsurgical resection of brainstem cervicomedullary ganglioglioma: operative video and technique of creating a surgical pseudoplane for near-total resection

Cervicomedullary gangliogliomas are rare low-grade neoplasms of the brainstem. They can be challenging lesions to resect due to the eloquent location in the brainstem. In some instances, the absence of a clear surgical plane between the tumor and normal neural tissue can prohibit a complete resection. Therefore, it is important to leave a thin rim of residual tumor at the tumor-brainstem interface in order to avoid irreversible neurological injury. In this operative video, the authors demonstrate the technique to develop a surgical pseudoplane using sharp microdissection for a cervicomedullary brainstem ganglioglioma without a clear interface between the tumor and normal neural tissue. This strategy allowed for radical near-total resection of the tumor, thereby maximizing the extent of removal while preserving neurological function. Postoperatively, the patient had normal neurological function and returned to work without any disability. In summary, due to the lack of a clear surgical dissection plane, a pseudoplane near the surgical interface can be performed using sharp dissection to facilitate radical near-total resection. The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/biD4G1Hh0yk.