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Memorial
Hermann The Woodlands’ Live Webcast to Feature Brain Tumor Resection
Surgeon Uses Advanced Intraoperative Guided System
THE WOODLANDS, TX -- Each year, approximately 190,000 people in the
United States are diagnosed with brain tumors. While relatively rare,
both malignant and benign brain tumors can be life-threatening. For
many patients, surgical removal, or resection of the tumor is the first
choice for treatment. On April 13 at 5:30 p.m. CST, Peter M.
Shedden, M.D., chairman of neurosurgery at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands
Hospital, will use an innovative approach to resect a tumor during
a live global Webcast from the hospital.
To
remove the tumor, Shedden will use StealthStation®, an advanced
intraoperative guided system that provides neurosurgeons with a precise
roadmap of the tumor and surrounding tissues. After making a curved
incision over the location, the surgeon uses a high-speed drill and
a saw to remove a small piece of bone above the tumor. Once the dura,
or lining of the brain, is exposed, the image-guided StealthStation
system is used to confirm the location and depth of the underlying
tumor. Shedden will dissect the tumor from normal brain tissue using
special microsurgical instruments.
“Using StealthStation can result in greater surgical precision, reduced
surgery time and speedier patient recovery,” said Shedden.
During
the live Webcast, Shedden will remove a meningioma. Meningiomas, most
often benign, account for approximately 27 percent of brain tumors
diagnosed annually. Meningiomas originate from the protective lining
around the brain called the meninges. The tumors tend to grow quite
large before they cause symptoms such as seizures or loss of function
due to local pressure on the brain.
The
aim is always to resect the entire tumor. However, when it cannot
be completely removed without damaging adjacent brain tissue, the
doctor eliminates as much of the tumor as possible. Following the
surgery, GammaKnife® radiosurgery
is employed. This technology focuses multiple beams of radiation
precisely on the remaining tumor to slow the progresssion or eradicate
the remaining mass.
“Partial
removal through surgery helps relieve symptoms by reducing pressure
on the brain and reducing the amount of tumor to be treated by
GammaKnife,” added
Shedden.
Serving
as online moderators during the live Webcast will be William Parks,
M.D., chief medical officer at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands and
Imran Fayaz, M.D., a medical staff neurosurgeon, who will answer
selected, appropriate inquiries during the surgery. Archived streaming
video of the procedure will be available for at least one year,
and Shedden and his team will continue to receive and answer e-mailed
questions for one month following the surgery.
This
program is the eighth in a series of live surgical Webcasts sponsored
by Memorial Hermann to give medical professionals and consumers
an opportunity to view the most innovative surgical procedures
available. The
Web link for the April 13 live surgery is http://www.or-live.com/memorialhermann/1390
For more information, contact Media Relations.
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