AIG removes complex tumor removed from 54-yr-old female patient's brain
Hyderabad: The neurosurgical team at AIG Hospitals has achieved a remarkable feat by removing a complex brain tumour from a 54-year-old female patient using a new approach that doesn’t require any cut or opening in the skull of the patient. “Endoscopic lateral transorbital approach” is a way for neurosurgeons to reach and treat certain brain areas through a small, carefully made path around the eye using a neuro-endoscope.
The patient went to the hospital with blurred vision in her right eye and headaches for six months. The doctors diagnosed it as viral encephalitis with no possibility of improvement. As her condition worsened, it was found that she was suffering from spheno-orbital cavernous meningioma (SOM), a benign tumour that forms in the region where the sphenoid bone (located at the base of the skull, behind the eyes), the eye socket, and the cavernous sinus (a large vein located at the base of the skull) meet.
“Upon multiple discussion with our neurosurgical unit and ophthalmology team, we found that the case is appropriate for us to take this new approach where we will be able to do the excision of the brain tumor without leaving any observable mark on the patient’s face/skull. It is indeed thrilling to say that we have successfully performed the operation and have set a new precedence in neurosurgery,” said Dr Abhirama Chandra Gabbita, senior consultant neurosurgeon, AIG Hospitals.
Dr Subodh Raju, director, neurosurgery, AIG Hospitals, said, “The endoscopic approach allows us to access the tumour through a small incision and since the brain is not directly touched or compressed during the procedure, there’s no physical impact left on the brain, resulting in less trauma to the surrounding tissues and a faster healing process.”
Dr Raju said the patient had shown remarkable recovery and was discharged on second day after the procedure returning to normalcy with no visible scar.
The novel approach eliminates the need for large skin incisions, temporalis muscle cutting, skull bone removal, and brain retraction in cases of brain tumours.
