The University and Polytechnic Hospital Faithfor the first time in the Valencian Community, treated laser surgery guided by magnetic resonance imaging in three patients suffering from a very specific type of tumor malignant, glioblastomas or brain metastases. These interventions make the Valencian center, together with the Hospital del Mar, the first public hospitals in Spain to incorporate thermal ablation to treat this pathology.
“The interventions use the same technique reserved for cases of refractory epilepsy, that is to say seizures that persist despite taking anticonvulsants. This is the thermal therapyhas laser interstitial therapy (LITT) and, in oncology, it is indicated for malignant brain tumors that do not respond to conventional treatments and cannot be treated with open surgery,” explained the head of the neurosurgery department, Antonio Gutierrez.
“LITT is a minimally invasive surgery in which a small incision to introduce a laser probe into the brain and destroy the tumor. The affected brain tissue is located using live MRI images, and the laser temperature is adjusted so that the tumor is eliminated without damaging the healthy tissue surrounding it,” explained Luis Martí Bonmatí, director of the clinical area of La Fe Medical Image.
“The precision is such,” added the neurosurgeon, “that it is possible to intervene on non-eloquent areas of the brain, that is, preserving motor, visual, linguistic and all kinds of functions.”
The intervention involves professionals from the neurology, neurosurgery, radiology and anesthesiology departments, from different categories (medicine, nursing, senior technician in diagnostic imaging and nuclear medicine or TSID, TCAE and nursing assistants).
“It’s a complex surgeryBut since it is a minimally invasive treatment, the patients only needed one night of hospitalization. The procedure lasts about an hour, is performed under general anesthesia and without intensive care,” explained Dr. Gutiérrez.
“It’s a chance for one pathology SO complicated and difficult to resolve such as malignant brain tumors,” added the head of the neurosurgery section.
In the same spirit, the head of the health department of Valencia La Fe, Jose Luis Povedastressed “the importance of having this highly specialized medical team in the use of interstitial thermal therapy to guarantee an avant-garde and safe treatment.”
