Cranial Surgery

About Cranial Surgery

Nearly 50 years ago, Midas Rex^® was founded by a general practitioner and a neurosurgeon who believed that better surgical tools could benefit both surgeons and patients. Today, we continue to develop innovative cranial surgery products that help improve patients' lives.

Craniotomies, endoscopic transnasal surgery, and other cranial and neurosurgical procedures involve unique challenges for accessing the brain and operating within the skull.

Surgical drills with optimum power, visibility, and control are essential, whether it’s to remove a tumor, treat arteriovenous malformation (AVM), or clip an aneurysm. When performing a craniotomy, this functionality is designed to quickly and cleanly drill through the skull, avoid dural laceration and damage to critical nerves, and replace the skull flap with minimal bone defects.

Minimally invasive endoscopic transnasal surgery is increasingly being used to remove skull base tumors. Endoscopic transnasal surgery is typically a combined surgical approach involving both a neurosurgeon and an ENT surgeon, where maximum visualization and access are key. In addition to the cranial surgery products listed below, we offer innovative ENT products for these challenging procedures.

Powered Surgical Drills, Tools, and Attachments

Our Midas Rex^® high-powered surgical drills and other products offer the versatility and precision you need for craniotomies, endoscopic transnasal surgery, and other neurosurgical procedures.

Midas Rex MR7 High-Speed Pneumatic Surgical Drills

For craniotomies and other surgeries, the Midas Rex MR7 is a powerful pneumatic surgical drill that delivers dynamic performance and durability with 72,000 rpm at 120 psi/8 bar. Using innovative proprietary technology throughout the system, every component is carefully engineered and manufactured for maximum power and durability.

• Exceptional power and performance when you need it most*
• Patented technology designed to deliver efficient performance
• Engineered and manufactured for quality and durability

Midas Rex Legend Electric High-Speed Surgical Drills

Our Midas Rex Legend EHS^® Surgical Drills offer legendary Midas Rex power in a quiet, electric system. The Legend EHS Surgical Drill was the first electric motor with Midas Rex power and precision and uses patented technology that enables more power with less heat.

With high torque and a compact size, the Legend EHS Stylus^® Surgical Drills are well-suited for endoscopic transnasal surgery and other cranial procedures that require precise surgical navigation. This small surgical drill offers excellent balance and maneuverability, with adjustable speeds from 200 to 75,000 rpm. Our latest Legend EHS Stylus Touch model also offers convenient integrated fingertip control.

Midas Rex Legend Tools and Attachments

The Midas Rex MR7 and Legend® surgical drills are part of a convenient standardized platform so they can be used with our comprehensive selection of interchangeable Legend® dissecting tools and attachments. Bold color-coding makes it easy to find the tool you need. Some of our tools and attachments include:

• Craniotomes – Used with tapered tools, these attachments follow the curve of the skull to help avoid nicking the dura
• Tapered tools
• Perforator driver
• Telescoping tubes

For ordering information, see our Neurologic Technologies Product Catalog.

Manual Instruments for Transnasal Skull Base Surgery

Premier MicroFrance^® ENT instruments from Medtronic are developed with world-renowned ENT surgeons to facilitate new surgical techniques, improve patient outcomes, and provide exceptional quality and precision for ENT surgery. We offer the following instruments for endoscopic skull base surgery:

MicroFrance Wormald Anterior Skull Base and Pituitary Instrument Set

Designed with PJ Wormald, MD, these premier MicroFrance instruments are made for both otolaryngologists and neurosurgeons in the combined endoscopic transnasal surgical approach to anterior skull base and pituitary procedures. Elongated malleable instruments with suction facilitate tissue elevation and tumor removal. The set also features a variety of low-profile scissors and forceps for soft tissue and thin bone resection during skull base surgery. Learn more.

MicroFrance Wormald Bipolar Forceps with Suction

These forceps help achieve hemostasis during endoscopic sinus surgery and anterior skull base surgery. With a slim profile, fine tips, and integrated suction, the forceps’ innovative design facilitates optimum visualization and access to the pituitary. Learn more.

MicroFrance Wormald Hemorrhage Control Set

This set addresses the challenge of large vessel hemorrhages during endoscopic sinus and anterior skull base surgery, offering remarkable visibility, access, and control. It includes a variety of clamps, clip-applying forceps, a rotatable needle holder, and an instrument tray. Learn more.

Cranial Repair Products

Medtronic offers a variety of cranial repair products, such as our Durepair^® Dura Regeneration Matrix for dura mater repair and Pre-Shaped Cranial Mesh Implants.

Durepair Dura Regeneration Matrix

Our innovative Durepair product is a biological dura substitute. It uses patented technology to produce a strong, yet flexible collagen matrix that can be applied as an onlay or suturable graft. Over time, the Durepair matrix conforms to the patient's anatomy and remodels into native tissue.

Pre-Shaped Cranial Mesh Implants

These Pre-Shaped Cranial Mesh Implants offer speed, simplicity, and strength. Each implant is specially made for your patient, which can save valuable OR time. Our cranial mesh features low-profile countersunk holes that may provide a more natural cosmetic result.

Additional Cranial Surgery Products

For more cranial and neurosurgical products, see our online Product Catalog.

* Compared to Midas Rex Legend Gold^® System

History of Midas Rex Surgical Drills

The Midas Rex Instrumentation System was invented and developed by Forest C. Barber, MD, a 1950 graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s medical school. While working with neurosurgeons during his internship in Fort Worth, Texas, he observed the need for a better way to access the brain surgically. Dr. Barber decided to develop a new craniotome, and formed S&B Tools with Dr. Ronald Smith, a Fort Worth neurosurgeon.

By 1962, Drs. Barber and Smith had created a high-speed air motor that could turn a cranial flap in two to three minutes. The trade name for their surgical handpiece was the Turbobit. Although the two physicians soon ended their partnership, Dr. Barber continued refining the motor and its accessories.

Susan Mitchell, PhD, sister of Dr. Barber, joined the company a few years later, and soon the first Midas Rex Hands-On Workshop was held. Dr. Mitchell was the first organizer and instructor of this event, which she and her brother believed would help surgeons and operating-room personnel gain practical experience with each instrument’s capabilities in a laboratory training environment. The overwhelming positive response from participants inspired Midas Rex to add more workshops and instructors to the program, which was eventually renamed the Midas Rex Institute.

As Midas Rex prospered, the demands of the business grew and Dr. Barber eventually closed his private medical practice. At this time, he introduced the hexagonal-case Midas Rex Classic motor, which became the standard pneumatic system for more than 15 years. Until his death in 1991, Dr. Barber provided invaluable leadership to the company he founded.

In 1998, the company was sold to Medtronic and became Medtronic Midas Rex. Now known as Medtronic Powered Surgical Solutions, the business that Dr. Barber co-founded continues to thrive, providing innovative solutions and surgical education to physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals around the world.

Midas Rex Institute

The Midas Rex^® Institute offers hands-on workshops where you can develop advanced dissection skills using advanced instrumentation, including our Midas Rex MR7 and Legend EHS Stylus high-speed surgical drills.

The Midas Rex^® Institute offers hands-on workshops where surgeons and surgical residents can develop advanced dissection skills using instrumentation, such as our Midas Rex MR7 and Legend EHS Stylus surgical drills. Courses for operating-room personnel focus on the needs of nurses who set up the surgical equipment in the O.R.

Since 1976, more than 26,000 medical professionals have trained at the Midas Rex Institute. Most workshops are held at our main facility in Fort Worth, Texas. However, we also offer additional workshops in conjunction with major meetings, such as the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses. One-day combination courses are also available in association with the Saint Louis University Practical Anatomy Workshops.

For more information, call the Midas Rex Institute at (800) 643-2773.