PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review examines the impact of skull base surgery on olfactory function, a critical yet often overlooked aspect of postoperative quality of life. As surgical techniques continue to evolve, understanding their impact on olfaction is key to optimizing patient outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS The relationship between skull base surgery and olfactory function continues to be debated in the literature. With the adoption of transnasal surgical approaches, a significant concern has been its impact on olfaction. Prior studies have shown evidence of olfactory dysfunction following transnasal skull base surgery, though these findings are not universal. A particular area of discussion involves the use of the pedicled nasoseptal flap, which has demonstrated potentially negative short-term olfactory impacts. Additional concerns surround flap design (olfactory strip preservation) and technique of flap harvest (cold knife versus electrocautery). Evidence suggests that olfactory strip preservation may effectively maintain postoperative olfactory performance, while cold knife techniques offer no clear advantage over electrocautery. SUMMARY The inconsistencies in the literature underscore the need for standardized, large-scale studies that directly compare surgical techniques to better understand the impact of transnasal skull base surgery on olfaction. This is essential to optimizing surgical outcomes and improving patient quality of life postoperatively.

中文翻译：

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颅底手术的嗅觉结果。


综述目的 本综述研究了颅底手术对嗅觉功能的影响，嗅觉功能是术后生活质量的一个关键但经常被忽视的方面。随着手术技术的不断发展，了解它们对嗅觉的影响是优化患者预后的关键。最近的发现 颅底手术与嗅觉功能之间的关系在文献中继续争论。随着经鼻手术方法的采用，一个重大问题是它对嗅觉的影响。先前的研究表明，经鼻颅底手术后存在嗅觉功能障碍的证据，尽管这些发现并不普遍。一个特别的讨论领域涉及带蒂的鼻间隔皮瓣的使用，它已被证明可能对嗅觉产生短期负面影响。其他问题围绕皮瓣设计（嗅条保留）和皮瓣收获技术（冷刀与电烙术）。有证据表明，保留嗅条可有效维持术后嗅觉表现，而冷刀技术与电烙术相比没有明显优势。摘要 文献中的不一致强调了标准化、大规模研究的必要性，这些研究直接比较手术技术，以更好地了解经鼻颅底手术对嗅觉的影响。这对于优化手术结果和改善患者术后生活质量至关重要。