Video immersion: awake brain surgery

At the beginning of the 2000s, the neurosurgery department of Caen Normandy University Hospital was one of the first departments in France to develop awake surgery for brain tumors. This technique makes it possible to test, during the intervention, the patient's motor and language functions in a precise manner. Thus, the neurosurgeon can draw a map of the different functions of the brain in real time and avoid damaging them during tumor removal.

The neurosurgery department also uses fluorescence-guided surgery. The patient ingests a powder that specifically makes tumor cells fluorescent. Neurosurgeons can then delineate the tumor with increased precision and improve the quality of tumor excision.

The ultrasonic scalpel represents a significant advance in pediatric neurosurgery. This innovative system allows brain tumors to be fragmented, emulsified and aspirated. Ultrasonic action creates, expands and implodes bubbles in liquids. Abnormal tissues, rich in water, can be easily emulsified, while blood vessels, nerves and healthy tissues remain undamaged due to their ability to vibrate in harmony with acoustic vibrations.

This equipment was financed thanks to the support of the Rotary Club of Caen and the CHU Caen Normandie Foundation.

Intracerebral chemotherapy is in situ chemotherapy . Chemotherapy pellets are delivered directly into the tumor cavity, near the residual tumor cells. They make it possible to obtain better local control of the disease.

These advanced technologies in tumor neurosurgery are used on a daily basis by the Caen Normandy University Hospital team and make it possible to optimize the quality of the resection, reduce the risk of post-operative neurological deficit and thus offer the patient better care. charge.