Brain Tumours Surgery

Dang Hospital offers the most innovative and advanced treatments and therapies for all diseases of the nervous system.

Brain tumour is an abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells in the brain. Brain tumours can be divided into:

1. Primary brain tumour - tumour originates from the brain

2. Secondary brain tumour - tumour spread to the brain, from cancer at other part of the body, such as lung, breast, prostate, kidney

Primary brain tumour are further divided to:

1. Benign - slow growing tumours, do not spread to other parts of the body and do not invade surrounding tissues. It is also less likely to come back after complete removal

2. Malignant - fast growing tumour and may invade surrounding tissues. They rarely spread to other parts of body outside brain. It is more likely to come back even after complete removal.

"The technology achieves better clinical outcome than conventional brain surgery because it does not require surgical incision or the use of general older patients or individuals in poor medical condition that might be considered to be at high risk for anesthesia and conventional surgery." Brain tumor surgery is performed to remove a brain tumor.

Craniotomy is the most common method used to remove a brain tumor.

During surgery, the maximum number of tumors are removed. Most primary brain tumors are surgically removed, however there are some tumors that may not be removed completely. In these cases, the tumor may only be debulked in which the tumor's size is reduced. This is helpful in relieving some symptoms.

The patient may need to undergo chemotherapy along with surgery.

How is a Brain Tumor Surgery Performed?

The patient is given anesthesia. The patient's scalp is shaved. Then an incision is made in the scalp, after which a piece of the skull is cut out with a special saw. The whole tumor or part of it is removed. After the tumor is removed, the piece of bone is put back in the skull and the incision is closed with clips or staples and covered with dressing and bandage.

How to Prepare for the Surgery?

• - The patient is examined by the doctor and the overall health of the patient is reviewed.
• - The patient should inform the doctor about any allergies to medication.
• - Certain medication that the patient is taking may be stopped some days before the surgery.
• - The patient should avoid eating solid or liquid food about 8 hours prior to the surgery.
• - The patient should avoid smoking some weeks before the surgery.
• - The patient's colon may be required to be cleansed and emptied.