We use an FDA-approved procedure known as MRI-guided laser interstitial therapy. This technique uses imaging and a laser to target specific damaged regions of the brain.
MRI-guided laser interstitial therapy
Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the operating room to visualize the brain, neurosurgeons drill a hole the width of a pencil through the patient’s skull until they reach the site of the diseased tissue (e.g. a brain tumor). Using a special laser probe guided through this hole, they direct the laser to “cook” the cancer or other diseased cells that lie deep within the brain and can’t be accessed by regular surgical techniques.
Shorter recovery time
This highly targeted therapy leaves the healthy surrounding brain tissue undamaged, which allows the patient to recover in a much shorter time than traditional brain surgery. The whole procedure generally requires only a one to two-day hospital stay with minimal pain and scarring.
See our FAQ page for more information about the procedure.
Resources
For more information about the technology, please visit the Monteris website and Barnes-Jewish Hospital’s brain laser therapy page.