A 75-year-old woman has become the first person in the world to have a brain tumor removed through an incision in her eyebrow, according to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS).
The new procedure not only reduces the number of hours needed on the operating table, but also the patient’s recovery time.
Doreen Adams underwent this unique procedure after a previous craniotomy to remove the tumor had an unsuccessful result.
“The difference between the two operations is night and day,” reported Adams, who was able to leave the hospital in Scotland two days after the operation.
The operation was carried out by pioneering NHS surgeon Anastasios Giamouriadis in Grampian, Scotland. He adapted an already existing technique and used it to remove tumor growth, a surgical procedure that leaves patients with only a small scar and a temporary black eye.
The procedure also allows surgeons to perform the operation more quickly than a traditional craniotomy, which removes parts of the skull to expose the brain. The new method takes only three hours, compared to 8 to 10 hours for craniotomy.
“Recovery after the craniotomy was difficult. It took a long time,” said the Aberdeen woman who was referred to Dr Giamouriadis after the operation unfortunately did not resolve the problem.
In contrast, his recovery from surgery at ARI (the main Grampian teaching hospital associated with the University of Aberdeen) was “much, much quicker”.
“I was released from the hospital two days later and returned to my normal life almost immediately.”
AMAZING: Chinese doctor removes patient’s lung tumor using robot from 3,000 miles away
Dr. Giamouriadis didn’t invent this type of surgery, but he modified it to give himself more room to work
“It allows me to remove very large brain tumors,” he said in an NHS statement. “To our knowledge, no other place in the world has successfully removed tumors as large as ours. »
“This is a game changer and much less invasive. Traditionally people had scars all over their forehead, we avoid that with this method.
“Before, we had to do a craniotomy to have full access. It takes a lot of time. It takes up to three hours to reach the tumor.
His technique, approved by the British Neurological Society and the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies, is also beneficial for the surgeon.
“The most delicate part of these operations is at the very end. You’re dealing with tiny vessels on the optic nerves, like hairs. You can only see them with very high magnification.
MIRACLE OF THE TRANSPLANT: New technology revives ‘unusable’ organs, as 10 successful transplants used normally discarded kidneys
“When you operate for nine hours, surgeons can be understandably tired. Our method therefore reduces the risk of error by reducing the duration of the operation.
“With this method, you get to the tumor in 30 to 40 minutes, and when you do the last part of the operation, the surgeon is still fresh.”
Patients who underwent the operation – known as the modified supraorbital keyhole approach for brain tumors – experienced remarkable recoveries, and many returned to normal lives days later.
“Once patients are put to sleep using the traditional method, we wake them up very slowly and they require intensive care for a few days. They then spend a few weeks in a ward and usually need rehab,” he said.
MEDICAL FIRST: A 13-year-old successfully undergoes a first treatment in the world to cure a “wild syndrome” that is rarer than rare
“With this technique, patients wake up immediately; they sometimes go home the day after surgery, where we know patients recover faster and better.
“It’s important for the patient, but also for the hospital in terms of maximum capacity. The patient goes home the next day with a black eye. After a few months, they have a barely visible scar.
Doreen adds: “To think you can have brain surgery and be back to normal in a matter of days is pretty incredible.
SHARE INCREDIBLE INNOVATION with friends on social media who need good news….