A- Clinical study:
The clinical study was a prospective one. The study was performed on patients admitted to “blinded for review” along one calendar year. All patients gave informed consent after the nature of the research has been fully explained to them and the research was approved by Institutional Review Board of the faculty according to Helsinky declaration (ethical research number 0201021). We used the Karl Storz second generation 3D HD endoscope that utilizes the ‘dual chip-on-the-tip’ technology with two lenses on the tip of the endoscope, Medtronic navigation system and Panasonic 3D polarizing glasses which filter less light than conventional polarizing glasses, so the operating room was not required to be dark. The 3D polarizing glasses fit over normal glasses worn by surgeons. This phase was performed on 52 endonasal and anterior skull base cases (26 control cases using 2D endoscope and 26 study cases using 3D endoscope (Figures 1 and 2). Duration of surgery, accuracy (frequency of navigation system use), intraoperative complications, and surgeon discomfort were recorded.