New Surgical Technique Uses Laser Energy To Destroy Brain Tumors

Wendy Rigby (Kens 5)

 |  Wed Oct 7, 2009 |

For the first time in San Antonio, doctors used a new technique to kill a cancerous brain tumor. It’s a novel approach using laser energy.

Deep inside Miguel Perez’ head lurks a potential killer. After a seizure in May, doctors made a frightening discovery. “They found the tumor,” Perez recalled. “They found the tumor and it turned out to be a real bad one.”

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.

“What’s really nice about this technique is that the laser light being emitted from the tip of the diode is absorbed by the tumor cells,” Floyd explained.

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.

When the laser was fired through the catheter, it heated up the tip and the surrounding tissue to more than 140 degrees Fahrenheit, a lethal temperature to cells. That created a damage zone about an inch in diameter. Healthy tissue was spared.

“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.

At age 38, Perez is hoping for another chance at life. “I need a cure,” he said, “a miracle.”

The device used for laser ablation of brain tumors has been FDA approved for about two years. San Antonio is one of fewer than 10 sites around the country offering this novel technique. It could help many people who have run out of other options.

Original Story At KENS5.com