Brain tumors surgery

Brain tumor is abnormal growth of carcinogenic tissue found inside the brain. Depending on the kind of tumor (benign or malignant-cancerous), surgery is performed only in cases that it does not leave severe damage to the brain. In cases of cancerous tumors, prior to the surgery, other treatments are required, like chemotherapy, while benign tumors are operated regularly without many problems.

Usually, when your specialist makes a decision about performing the surgical procedure, it is for several reasons; to provide access for internal chemotherapy or for delivery of intra-surgical treatments, like laser surgery, to remove as much of tumor as possible, relieve intracranial pressure to the brain, or to confirm original diagnosis by doing biopsy.

There are several kinds of surgical procedures for brain tumors, and particular type or technique of surgery depends on the patient’s situation, regarding risks, type and location of the tumor in the brain. It can be embolization, laser surgery, endoscopy, etc.

Fluorescent-guided surgery

The tumor cells in the brain are checked with a fluorescent light by the surgeon, thus enabling him to distinguish between cancer cells and normal cells. This can not be done by ordinary methods.

Ultrasonic aspiration

This technique uses ultrasonic sound waves to break and fragment tumors into small pieces, and then use to a suction to extract them from the brain. This procedure leaves minimal damage to other cells in the brain, and it is particularly helpful in cases when a tumor is located in unreachable places.

Stereotactic surgery

This type of procedure uses computers in order to create a 3D image of your brain, called stereotaxy. This is a very helpful procedure that enables surgeons to find the exact spot and position of a tumor, relative to the other surrounding areas of the brain unlike classic 2D X ray pictures.

Shunt

This type of operation is performed in cases when intracranial pressure formed by the presence of a tumor is created, in order to relieve it. This means that the surgeon drains blocked or excessive fluids, using a tube called a catheter. This type of surgery is considered to be non evasive and minor.

Biopsy

This procedure means that a small part of the tumor is removed surgically from the brain, in order to analyse it, and determine the exact type of tumor. It usually precedes another surgery, and it is done right after the type of tumor is determined.

Laser surgery

This procedure is used routinely to precisely destroy cancer cells in the brain, with the heat of the laser beam. This technique replaced surgeries performed with the scalpel, and it is mostly used in cases of tumors that are placed deep in to the brain, or in the base of the skull.

Craniotomy

This is the most commonly used surgical procedure, and it means that the top of the skull is removed, and after that the surgeon uses a scalpel to perform the operation. After the tumor removal, the top of the skull is placed back.

Endoscopy

Long, narrow and flexible tubes, with a light and tiny cameras on top are called endoscopes. They are inserted in the brain, and they provide the surgeon with insight of the location of tumor areas. This procedure is performed preoperatively, through very small incisions through the skull.

Embolization

This is a procedure which is aimed to remove excessive amount of blood that supplies the brain, by blocking arteries that lead to the brain. The goal of this preoperative procedure is for the surgeon to be able to perform an X-ray scan of the arteries, which is done by injecting a special kind of dye in the blood stream. This procedure is called arteriography, and it is used in cases of tumors such as jugulare or meningiomas.