New revolutionary brain surgery targets previously inoperable tumors

Patients from neighboring states show interest in procedure.

Kettering Medical Center is offering its patients a novel new procedure that allows surgeons to treat malignant tumors deep within the brain that were previously considered inoperable.

The minimally invasive NeuroBlate System from medical device maker Monteris Medical uses a laser-probe inserted into a small incision in the skull that heats and kills tumor cells located with an MRI machine.

“The procedure minimizes risk to the healthy surrounding brain tissues, thereby allowing patients to recover much faster than traditional surgeries,” said Dr. Phillip Porcelli, one of two doctors performing NeuroBlate surgeries at Kettering. “It really cuts down on the stress on the body and the brain itself. It really is changing the future of not only health care, but neurosurgery in general.”

Most patients spend up to two weeks in a hospital with traditional brain surgery, including rehab. The NeuroBlate can cut that time in half, Porcelli said.

“It really depends on the age and and the medial condition of the patient,” he said. “But recovery time could be less than a week.”

The NeuroBlate is being used primarily for certain types of recurrent brain tumors, helping to extend the life-expectancy of patients.

“For the most part, this procedure is for patients who have been told in the past that they can’t have surgery on the tumor because it’s high-risk,” Porcelli said. “This is giving those patients an option to have their tumor treated … giving them more time.”

So far, Kettering is the only hospital in Ohio besides the Cleveland Clinic to utilize the new device, which has drawn interest from patients in bordering states and throughout the region.

“Surprisingly, we have started to see a growing number of patients sending us their information and asking … if they can have the procedure done,” Porcelli said. “There are only a handful of centers int he United States that have this system, and Kettering is one of them.”

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