Abstract
The transpetrosal approach, involving resection of the petrous bone to various degrees, provides different levels of access to the petroclival region. According to the area and degree of petrous bone removal, the transpetrosal approach can roughly be divided into an anterior, posterior and their combined approach. Factors considered to be important in determining the selection of approach include the size, location, and extension of the lesion, preoperative hearing evaluation, and the anatomy of the venous sinuses. In this paper, the technical basis of the transpetrosal approach is described with respect to several important factors to avoid surgical complications related to this approach.
