Neurology & Neurosurgery (see more articles like this)

January 12, 2006 – Orlando, FL – When 72-year-old Betty Lancraft narrowly missed being hit by a car on a busy Central Florida road in October 2005, she felt very lucky.  She suffered only a broken shoulder and a head injury.  But as doctors performed scans and an MRI to determine the extent of her injuries, they found something they were not looking for:  a rare, large tumor at the base of her brain.

Fortunately, Lancraft consulted with physicians at Florida Hospital and decided to undergo an innovative new technique for removing the tumor that left untreated, could result in blindness, paralysis, coma, or death.

Florida Hospital is one of only a handful of centers around the country that removes these tumors using a computer-guided endoscopic endonasal approach (through the nose).  In the past, doctors would have to make an incision on the skull, take a piece of the bone off, and elevate the brain to gain access to the center of the brain where the skull base is located.  With this new minimally invasive technique, doctors no longer have to make an incision and are instead able to navigate to the base of the brain through the nose using a computer and endoscopic camera less than five millimeters in diameter.

“The endoscope has a high resolution camera on its tip, so we are able to see the surrounding anatomy and the tumor with greater detail than we could in the past,” said Dr. Melvin Field, neurosurgeon at Florida Hospital. “With this technology and approach, we can now work through smaller corridors with less disruption to the surrounding brain structures, with less time, and with a faster recovery.  We are also less likely to leave part of the tumor behind.”

During the multidisciplinary procedure, Dr. Brian Spector, an ENT surgeon at Florida Hospital, uses an endoscope to make his way through the patient’s nasal passageway to the site of the tumor at the base of the brain.  Once there, Dr. Field steps in to begin removing the tumor.
This endoscopic technique decreases the time a patient has to stay in both the operating room and in the hospital.  Traditionally, surgery to remove a tumor from the skull base may have taken more than 12 hours or may have been staged over a couple of days because of the difficulty of getting to the center of the brain without injuring the brain itself.  Hospitalizations after this surgery could be anywhere from five days to two weeks depending on the recovery.

“A benefit of the endoscopic approach is that we can actually get to the tumor within an hour or so, and the surgery itself usually takes less than three or four hours,” Dr. Field said. “After the procedure, no bandages are required, and the patient discomfort is minimal.  Patients usually return home within two or three days after surgery.”

Pituitary tumors are the most common of the skull-base tumors.  Other forms of skull-base tumors such as chordomas, meningiomas, and craniopharyngiomas have also been removed using this minimally invasive technique.

Lancraft underwent surgery to remove the tumor at the base of her brain on Tuesday and is expected to go home this week. 

If you would like to schedule an interview, request a tape, or want more information, please contact Florida Hospital media relations at 407/303-8217.
www.floridahospitalmedicalnews.com