Surgical injuries to the motor center in the brain and its pathways have severe consequences, e.g. paralysis of the arm or leg. Not least because of this, tumors in these areas represent a major surgical challenge.
(ag) With one in three tumors located close to areas of motion, a solution to the problem is urgently needed. In order to be able to permanently localize the motor center and its pathways during an operation, neurosurgeons at Inselspital have developed the following technique: Instead of radar waves, they use microcurrents that are continuously delivered to the tissue to be operated on via hybrid probes. The probe aspirates the tumor tissue and simultaneously checks the motor function of the surrounding areas. Audible signals eliminate the need to observe and interpret current waveforms. This simultaneity offers a decisive advantage over other procedures, which have to interrupt the operation for punctual scanning of the tissue.
Safer and easier
A related study [1] involving 69 participants was published in the Journal of Neurosurgery, showing that with the new technique, only 3% of patients had motor deficits due to local circulatory disturbances. Direct mechanical damage to the movement areas was completely avoided. The new procedure makes brain surgery both safer and easier, which is a rare combination. At Inselspital, about 200 operations have already been performed using the new technique. Thus, it is undisputed that the procedure will become widely accepted in the near future and fundamentally change brain tumor surgery.
Source: Media release dated May 5, 2014
Literature:
- Raabe A, et al: J Neurosurg 2014 May; 120(5): 1015-1024.
