The Italian Society of Skull Base Surgery (SIB) was founded in 1991 thanks to the initiative of a group of physicians who believed that a multidisciplinary approach was the key to fostering diagnostic and therapeutic progress in the treatment of diseases affecting such a complex anatomical region as the skull base. This ‘forward-thinking’ intuition, conceived almost 30 years ago, has today become the ‘standard of care.’ Multidisciplinary ‘tumor boards’ for the discussion of clinical cases have become established in clinical practice; new technologies for magnification of the surgical field, such as exoscopy and endoscopy, in addition to microscopy, have been introduced; new neuroradiological and neurophysiological techniques for monitoring cranial nerve functions and brainstem evoked potentials have been developed; new technologies for delivering radiotherapy treatment, such as hadron therapy, have been introduced; molecular biology methods have been refined to stratify skull base diseases with increasing precision; new surgical corridors (transorbital, transoral, transnasal) have been created to expand the surgical options already available; and the doctor-patient relationship has been reshaped through the emergence of patient associations for those affected by skull base diseases.
In the face of this constantly evolving landscape, the 18th National Congress of the SIB represents a moment of pride for the work accomplished so far, which has allowed us to reach adulthood — the age of reason — and thus gain a more mature outlook on the present. However, like every major milestone, this 18th anniversary of the SIB National Congress also represents a strong incentive to tackle the challenges that the future presents on the horizon with responsibility and awareness. The challenges of the future are summarized in the ‘main topics’ on which the event’s scientific program is built, and these will be addressed with a critical (and self-critical) spirit in a multidisciplinary manner, encouraging dialogue among all specialists involved in the management of skull base diseases. |  |
