brain tumor surgery

 

 

Brain tumor surgery is the first and most common treatment method for most people with this disease. For some tumors, complete surgical removal and continuous monitoring of the patient may be the only treatment required. Brain tumor surgery is performed according to the following goals:

• Complete removal (resection) of a brain tumor
• Partial removal of tumors near sensitive areas of the brain to relieve symptoms and facilitate or enhance the effectiveness of other treatments. Less pressure inside the skull, which can mean less symptoms and improve the patient's ability to do things (for example, think, speak, or see better).
• A biopsy is a surgical procedure to remove a small sample of a brain tumor for examination under a microscope, and is usually performed during surgery to remove the tumor.

If the surgeon cannot remove the tumor without damaging important parts of the brain, or if the patient is not a candidate for surgery, a biopsy can be done as a separate procedure. A biopsy allows doctors to confirm the diagnosis (including tumor type, malignancy, and grade) and suggest the most appropriate treatment.

If doctors can't do a biopsy, they diagnose a brain tumor and plan treatment based on the results of other tests. It may take a week or more after the biopsy to know the name and type of your brain tumor.

On the other hand, the main challenge of brain tumor surgery is to remove the tumor without damaging the normal brain tissue, which requires skill and experience as well as advanced technology and a fully coordinated surgical team. Join us in this article to fully review brain tumor surgery, its types and side effects after surgery.

Preparing for brain tumor surgery

To identify the exact location of the tumor and plan the surgery, the neurosurgeon, if needed, prescribes imaging tests, which may include the following:

• MRI, functional MRI and diffusion tensor imaging
• Computed tomography (CT or CT scan)
• angiography

A neurosurgeon may use fiducial markers to mark specific areas for surgical removal of the tumor.

Fiducial markers are small labels that look like white donuts. They are glued to the scalp by a member of the radiology team before the operation and are not painful at all. A CT scan or MRI with fiducial creates a 3D map of the head.

During surgery, these tags provide several reference points for the surgeon and neurologist , which helps the surgeon to proceed with the surgery according to the 3D map and not to make mistakes.

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Types of brain tumor surgery methods

Brain tumor surgery methods are diverse and depend on the type and location of the tumor. We explained some examples of them in this section.

craniotomy

The most common type of surgery to remove a brain tumor is craniotomy. This procedure involves making an incision in the scalp and removing a piece of bone from the skull, for easy access of the neurosurgeon to the tumor.

Carefully planned surgical procedures can help the surgeon treat challenging skull base tumors.

 

Brain tumor surgery with laser and MRI guidance

Brain tumor surgery with laser and MRI guidance is a minimally invasive neurosurgical procedure for a number of diseases, including brain tumors. In this treatment, Jiraj uses a laser to target and destroy the tumor.

This method can help surgeons treat the most serious brain tumors, such as glioblastoma multiforme and tumors that are close to sensitive brain tissue. Because it is very difficult to access these types of tumors through traditional open surgery.

Compared to craniotomy, laser tumor removal can reduce postoperative pain and its biggest advantage is shorter recovery time.

Nasal or neuroendoscopy brain tumor surgery

Surgery performed through the nose is called endonasal surgery. This method allows the surgeon to access areas of the brain that cannot be reached by conventional surgical methods. In endonasal surgery, the surgeon removes the tumor without cutting or damaging other parts of the skull.

Neuroendoscopy is also a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which the neurosurgeon removes the tumor through small holes (the size of a coin) in the skull or through the mouth and nose. We mentioned the results of nasal brain tumor surgery in the following list:

• Less pain than traditional surgery
• Faster recovery than traditional surgery
• Minimal scarring

What types of tumors are treated with neuroendoscopy?

Some tumors that may be treated with neuroendoscopy include:

• Tumors of the pineal region
• Pituitary tumors
• Rathke's Cleft Cysts
• Skull base tumors
• Ventricular tumors

Tubular retractor system for neurosurgery

Tubular Retractor System for Neurosurgery (Tubular Retractor System for Neurosurgery) is a new and minimally invasive method that can help the neurosurgeon to treat several serious diseases including brain tumor.

Any device that moves or holds tissue so that the neurologist can reach a specific area is called a retractor. Tubular retractor is very useful and practical. Because it removes the delicate folds and tissues of the brain with less risk of damage than other surgical methods and instead of cutting the tissue, it is removed.

The tubular retractor system can be especially useful in situations where the tumor is deep in the brain. Also, this type of surgery is a less invasive option than craniotomy or traditional open surgery.

How does the tubular retractor system work?

First, the surgeon makes a small incision in the skin and a small hole in the skull. Computer guidance then helps him gently move the tubular retractor through the brain's white matter and access the tumor. At this stage, the surgeon uses a tubular retractor to extract the tumor.

In this surgical method, a fiber optic camera can be used to help better view the surgical area. Once the procedure is done, the surgical team pulls out the instruments, removes the tubular retractor, and finally stitches up the small incision.

Brain tumor surgery in a conscious state

A brain tumor surgery in a conscious or so-called "awake" state is a method in which the surgery is performed while the patient is awake. This type of procedure allows the surgeon to stimulate part of the brain during the procedure to identify important functional areas to avoid.

Intraoperative imaging

Specialized MRI and CT machines in the operating room provide the doctor with a complete map of the brain during surgery. This helps the surgeon to see the fine structures around the tumor more closely and during the operation to check if part of the tumor tissue remains after its removal.

If you have questions about any of the brain tumor surgery methods, the best course of action before making a decision is to ask your questions online to a brain tumor doctor in the Acceptance24 system .

How long is the hospital stay after brain tumor surgery?

Normally, it is normal to stay in the hospital for two to five days after brain tumor surgery. One day after the operation, an MRI or CT scan is performed so that the doctor can conclude whether the treatment was successful or not.

However, be careful that the exact duration of hospitalization depends on many factors such as the type of surgery performed and the side effects after it.