Minimally-invasive approach to posterior fossa decompression: Initial experience in Adult Chiari Type 1 Malformation patients.

We report our initial experience using Minimally-Invasive Surgery (MIS) technique for Posterior Fossa Decompression (PFD) in Adult Chiari 1 Malformation (C1M) patients. Five subjects who were treated with MIS PFD at our center and followed up over a 5-year period. Another nine subjects who were treated with Open PFD and follow up over the same period were used for comparison. This study suggests that there are little differences in efficacy and safety between MIS and Open PFD. Larger series and prospective randomized trials comparing the two methods would provide higher-quality evidence and clarify the role of either technique in the treatment of C1M.