Delray Medical Center has introduced the addition of an image-guided laser technology that may help treat the thousands of patients diagnosed with brain tumors and lesions each year in the Caribbean.
The system uses real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to accurately guide a laser probe that applies heat to the growth, in controlled amounts, until the diseased tissue is destroyed. It can be used on tumors and lesions in many locations in the brain, near the surface or deep inside.
The laser therapy can be precisely controlled to kill abnormal tissue while doing as little harm as possible to surrounding healthy tissue. It can also be used with patients who have lesions in areas of the brain that are difficult to access through traditional open surgery without harming essential functions like speech, vision and muscle control. Hundreds of patients have undergone the procedure, and it has been shown to be successful in reducing or removing diseased tissue.
“The NeuroBlate technology is unique because it allows us to not only precisely control where the treatment is delivered, but also visualize the actual effect on the tissue in real time,” said Dr Lloyd Zucker, neurosurgery director at Delray Medical Center. “This is a game changer in the community for those dealing with brain cancer and other neurological disorders.”
Rather than making a large opening in the skull, the laser technology requires just a small hole, about the diameter of a pencil. The procedure is considered minimally invasive surgery, a type of procedure that generally involves less pain, discomfort and scarring than traditional surgery and allows patients to go home and resume normal activity sooner.
“We are looking forward to utilizing this innovative treatment option at Delray Medical Center,” said Mark Bryan, CEO. “It is always our goal to incorporate new technologies and techniques that will make surgery safer and less invasive for our patients.”
The NeuroBlate System was cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration in April 2013 and is in use at more than 20 of the nation’s leading healthcare institutions.
