Surgery to remove brain tumors

Our body is unpredictable. Sometimes he makes us such "gifts" that you do not know where to run and what to do. It's nothing but a tumor. Treatment of them can be different. But today we will talk about the brain tumor and its surgical treatment.

What is a brain tumor

A brain tumor is the reproduction of abnormal cells in the brain. As a result of this "multiplication", a tumor grows, which not only hinders and squeezes the brain, but also destroys healthy cells of the brain. The tumor grows, but the cranial remains the same. As a result, excessive intracranial pressure occurs.

Tumors can be benign and malignant. Benign tumors grow slowly, but still put pressure on the brain from the inside.

Malignant tumors grow rather quickly. In addition, they are rooted in the brain tissue, thereby causing neurological disorders with progressive development. Regardless of which tumor, benign or malignant, they both sometimes cause the patient to convulsive seizures.

Tumor of the brain is a generalizing concept, since tumors can be primary and secondary.

Primary tumors are those that originated in the brain itself, as well as in its shell.

Secondary tumors are also called metastatic and are formed from primary tumors with metastases, including in the brain tissue.

Surgery in the fight against brain tumors

There are several methods of surgical treatment of brain tumors. Let us consider them in more detail.

Stereotaxis

This is a method of brain operation, in which the brain is "matched" with the greatest accuracy. Previously, a special framework was used for this, but now, in times of progress, computers are used for this.

Shunting

This operation is performed using a shunt tube that connects the vessels or cavities. In the operation of the brain, the shunt is used to normalize the cerebrospinal circulation in the cerebrospinal fluid. It arises from the overlapping of the current of the CSF with a growing tumor. This leads to an increase in intracranial pressure and to hydrocephalus. During shunting, nausea, headaches, and the like disappear.

Ultrasonic aspirator method

Ultrasonic aspirators are used for surgical removal of brain tumors. The essence of the method is that ultrasound of a specially installed power is used to remove the tumor. In this case, the tumor is destroyed, and its residues are simply exhausted by an aspirator.

Laser method

The laser is now at the peak of popularity. It helps to cut tissues, fold blood, and also to evaporate tissues. Another advantage of laser therapy is that the laser, unlike the scalpel and the contacting parts of the apparatus, is sterile. Also, with this method of treatment, there is no chance of spreading the tumor to neighboring parts of the brain.

Craniotomy

The essence of such an operation on the brain is that the skull is cut in a certain way and its top is removed, otherwise, the arch. First, drill a lot of holes, and then use a special wire saw to finish the remaining parts of the bone. With this operation, complete removal of the tumor occurs. But if the tumor affects the vital parts of the brain, then carry out a partial removal of the tumor with the maximum allowable area. With this partial removal, the mass of the tumor decreases, and this greatly facilitates the subsequent radiation treatment.

Photodynamic therapy

This method is under study. It is based on the fact that the patient is injected with a drug that promotes an increase in the sensitivity of only tumor cells and only at a certain wavelength that is affected by the tumor.

Surgical methods for removing brain tumors are very effective and popular. If a benign tumor was identified during a biopsy examination, surgical intervention can be performed both at the beginning of the treatment and at the end. But most often doctors recommend after surgery to conduct additional preventive treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy.