New surgical technique uses laser energy in brain tumors

Novel approach is minimally invasive and precise
04:20 PM CDT on Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Wendy Rigby / KENS 5

Perez has had one surgery to remove the tumor, but now the cancer has returned. This time, Dr. John Floyd, a U.T. Health Science Center neurosurgeon, is trying something different.

In an operating room at St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital, the doctor secured an anchor in the outside of the skull. Then, using what’s called neuro-navigation for precision, he slid a catheter several inches inside the head. That catheter houses a laser that can zap the cells growing out of control and threatening Perez’ life.

After the catheter was in place, the patient was moved to an MRI suite, where real-time images showed the doctors the area they were treating.

“Now we have another surgical technique which is minimally invasive and excellent for recurrences,” Floyd said.

While the two-step procedure took several hours, the heating and killing of the tumor took less than five minutes.

“In fighting brain cancer and brain tumors, we need everything that’s available at our disposal to be able to win the battle,” commented Dr. David Jimenez, head of the neurosurgery department at UTHSC.

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