A Better Brain Surgery
Advocate Health
Surgical Advances Benefit Patients
The thought of having brain surgery can be terrifying, and understandably so. But Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital has the surgical skills and latest equipment to enable a healthy outcome and recovery.
Moving Forward
Medicine is an ever-evolving field, and neurosurgery is no exception. When performing craniotomies at Good Shepherd Hospital , neurosurgeons are now aided by a neuronavigational system—essentially a GPS for the brain—to help pinpoint the exact location of a tumor in the brain. Before this technology, neurosurgeons often relied on ultrasound to locate a tumor. The navigational system increases accuracy by providing an instantaneous 3-D picture of the brain, showing neurosurgeons exactly where their instruments are and, step by step, where they need to go so that the risk to other areas is minimized, says Juan Alzate, MD, one of four new neurosurgeons at Good Shepherd Hospital.
New technique
The hospital has also introduced the minimally invasive endo-nasal craniotomy. Using this procedure, tubing carrying small tools and a camera is inserted into the passageway at the back of the nose and up to the base of the brain. The benefits? Fewer complications, less discomfort and faster recovery. According to Dr. Alzate, this surgery is best suited to treating pituitary tumors and smaller growths located at the front of the brain.
“Patients who have the minimally invasive endo-nasal technique do very well,” says Dr. Alzate. “They usually only require a two-to three day hospital stay, and they can look forward to resuming their regular activities within just a few weeks as compared with the regular extended cranial-based approaches.”
An additional advance of this technique, adds Pearlie Ibon, RN, OR team leader, is CUSA, an ultrasonic surgical aspirator system that enhances tumor removal, making it faster and more efficient.
“To select the best approach for brain surgery, we review each patient's condition and radiological studies individually to determine which treatment option is best for them,” says Dr. Alzate.
What is a Craniotomy?
“Craniotomy is a term that refers to the way a surgeon enters the brain,” says Juan Alzate,MD. During a craniotomy, an incision is made through the scalp, a hole is drilled into the skull and a piece of bone is removed.
Through this “window”, Dr. Alzate says, neurosurgeons can perform many procedures, including retrieving a brain tissue sample for biopsy, removing a tumor or draining an infection. In most cases, at the end of the procedure the bone is put back in place and secured with screws and tiny metal plates.
Surgical incision size and length of surgery and recovery times vary, depending on the condition being treated and biopsy results.
Immediately following surgery, the patient is taken to the recovery room or intensive care unit. The patient's vital signs and neurological status are monitored during the recovery phase to assess the clinical well-being of the patient, says Stephanie Hock,RN, clinical manager of surgery, anesthesia and sterile processing.