Cutting-Edge Technology Assists Surgeons with Brain Surgery

Brain surgery is an extremely delicate operation requiring the utmost precision to correct the medical issue at hand while minimizing damage to healthy tissue.

Even the most skilled neurosurgeon may not have the precision of a machine when performing surgery on or near the brain. However, surgeons at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have access to a unique tool called a SurgiScope, a cutting-edge machine that allows for speed and precision in neurosurgery.

M. D. Anderson is one of only six medical centers in the nation that is using the SurgiScope. The tool combines computer technology with a microscope to show the target for surgery in relation to the patient’s anatomy. The computer-aided machine, mounted on the ceiling, provides surgeons real-time views of the brain to remove tumors faster and with the least amount of trauma to the brain.

Dr. Raymond Sawaya, chairman of M. D. Anderson’s Department of Neurosurgery, said the SurgiScope provides navigation to the tumor as well as "X-ray vision," or a three-dimensional image during brain surgery.

"It is a critical element in surgery to stay oriented and to know where the tumor is at all times, even when I may not see it yet," Dr. Sawaya said. "The SurgiScope lets me know precisely where I am in the brain and helps me navigate an exact pathway to the tumor."

The deeper the tumor is, the more dangerous the surgery can be. "The trick is getting to the tumor without going through parts of the brain that may be critical – areas of the brain that control vision and movement," Dr. Sawaya said.

Delicate neurosurgery is quicker, more precise and minimally invasive with this unique tool, resulting in faster recovery and shorter hospital stays for the patient, according to Dr. Sawaya. A patient is typically able to walk around the day after surgery with the SurgiScope, he added.