Surgical treatment of brain tumors

Surgical treatment of brain tumors is expressed in the removal of the tumor. With this method of treatment, preference is given to removing the most extensive part of the tumor tissue. Surgery of brain tumors has recently made a powerful leap forward in comparison with neurosurgery in previous years. There were magnificent developments - endoscopy, laser surgery, high-intensity ultrasound and so on.

Modern microscopes used by surgeons give the opportunity to carry out the most delicate interventions and minimize the trauma to the brain and surrounding tissues.

Method of stereotaxis.

Stereotaxis - a method that allows access to the desired area of ​​the brain with high accuracy. Unlike previous years, this procedure is now carried out on a computer, not using a stereotactic frame.

In the surgical operations of brain tumors, ultrasonic aspirators are also widely used. The principle of their action consists in the action of ultrasound of a certain power on the tumor. The result is its destruction. After that, the tumor remains aspirated.

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When operations on the brain are used by surgeons "evoked potentials."With their help determine the role of this or that part of the brain. This helps to determine what will lead to its destruction. Shunting of the brain.

Even with surgery on the brain, shunting is used. The shunt is a special tube connecting the vessels and cavities. In neurosurgery, they are used to restore the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid, which has been disturbed in the brain. This condition is more often observed when the tumor is blocked by the current path of the cerebrospinal fluid. The result is hydrocephalus and increased intracranial pressure. With the help of a shunt, the current of the CSF is restored. This eliminates headaches and nausea, as well as other symptoms of cerebrospinal hypertension.

Craniotomy is a surgical operation that allows access to the brain. This operation removes the upper part of the skull( vault).It is conducted under general anesthesia. The removal of the cranial vault is preceded by the doctor holding small holes in the wall of the skull bones. A wire saw is inserted through the holes. She saws the bone between the holes formed. Often the tumor is removed completely. There are cases when complete removal of the tumor is impossible without damage to vital areas of the brain. In such situations, the maximum possible excision of tumor volume is carried out. Partial removal of the tumor helps to alleviate its symptoms. This reduces the weight of the tumor. And this already facilitates immediate further treatment with the help of chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Treatment of tumors.

Surgical treatment of brain tumors can be an initial or final stage of treatment. This is possible if biopsy revealed a tumor's good quality. But still, doctors insist on additional treatment with radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

It has already been noted that modern neurosurgery has acquired a number of advantages over the methods of previous years. The methods used were laser, cryodestruction, ultrasound and photosensitization.

Progressive methods of surgery for treating brain tumors include tumor removal using computer-controlled navigation technology and laser-stereotaxic robotic complexes. When removing tumors of the brain using cryoapparatus a new generation. They allow the processes of freezing and thawing to predict the diameter of the source of cryodestruction. The method of fluorescence microscopy opens up new possibilities for removing malignant brain gliomas.

To remove the tumor in some parts of the brain, a new method of electrophysiological mapping of the cerebral cortex is often used. It is mainly used for the removal of tumors of the motorized area and for monitoring studies of evoked potentials during removal of the tumor of the bridge-juniper angle. The purpose of this method is to avoid as much as possible the damage to important structures of the brain during the removal of the tumor.

Laser treatment technology in surgery.

In many surgical areas and oncology areas laser technology is widely used. A high intensity laser beam makes it possible to cut the tissue, evaporate it and coagulate the blood during excision. Also the laser is always sterile. In addition, when using a laser, it is impossible to randomly spread tumor cells from the focus to adjacent tissues.

At the moment, a method of treating a brain tumor with photodynamic therapy is under development. The basis of this method is that the patient is injected with a drug that increases the sensitivity of tumor cells to radiation of a certain wavelength.

If suspected of having a brain tumor, the patient is referred to an oncological dispensary at his place of residence. There he undergoes a comprehensive examination, thanks to which the diagnosis is confirmed or withdrawn. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the patient is registered in the dispensary. The patient is prescribed and administered a course of treatment. Upon completion of the treatment, the patient is discharged. However, he remains on the account in the dispensary. In the dispensary to which the patient is assigned after a while, his repeated examinations are conducted. This allows timely detection of tumor recurrence. After being discharged, the patient must apply 3 times 1 month after the previous visit, then 2 times in 6 months, and then once a year. At the oncologist on a dispensary account consist for life.

Successful and complete treatment depends heavily on timely and adequate diagnosis. With the three-step treatment, which began at an early stage of tumor manifestation, the survival rate of patients reaches 60-80%.If the treatment was not timely, the survival rate is 30-40%.