Video immersion: awake brain surgery

In the early 2000s, the neurosurgery department at Caen Normandy University Hospital was one of the first in France to develop awake surgery for brain tumors. This technique allows for precise testing of the patient's motor and speech functions during the procedure. The neurosurgeon can thus create a real-time map of the brain's various functions 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 greater precision and improve the quality of the tumor removal.

The ultrasonic scalpel represents a significant advancement in pediatric neurosurgery. This innovative system allows for the fragmentation, emulsification, and aspiration of brain tumors. The action of ultrasound creates, expands, and implodes bubbles in the fluids. Abnormal, water-rich tissues can be easily emulsified, while blood vessels, nerves, and healthy tissues remain undamaged thanks to their ability to vibrate in harmony with the acoustic vibrations.

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

Intracerebral chemotherapy is a in situ chemotherapy. Chemotherapy pellets are delivered directly into the tumor cavity, near any remaining tumor cells. This allows for better local control of the disease.

These advanced technologies in tumor neurosurgery are used daily by the team at the Caen Normandy University Hospital and allow for the optimization of the quality of the resection, the reduction of the risk of post-operative neurological deficit and thus to offer the patient better care.