Middle Cranial Fossa Approach (Surgical Technique)

The patient is placed in the supine position with the head turned to the side opposite the lesion (Figure 1). The head is turned such that the index ear is facing up and the side of the skull is as parallel to the floor as possible [3]. Care should be taken to avoid forcing the neck to turn to prevent injury to the cervical spine and to prevent occlusion of the contralateral internal jugular vein that can impede cranial venous return.