New "Scarless" Surgery Takes Out Tumors Through Natural Skull Opening

Removing tumors from the brain is a very risky procedure. Recently a few surgeons at Johns Hopkins have developed a brain tumor removal technique that is a lot less invasive. Specifically this procedure is for tumors located near the base of the skull. By taking a path through a natural hole located behind the molars, below the cheekbone and above the jawbone, the surgeons were able to successfully remove the brain tumors from seven patients so far. It was noted that this procedure allowed for a quicker recovery and less complications during surgery. By going through the inside of the mouth, surgeons were able to reduce visible scaring on the patients.
This procedure also lowered the amount of time spent in the operating room shrunk by four hours. Unfortunately, not all patients are able to receive this procedure. Patients with very large
skull base tumors or those with tumors encircling blood vessels are ineligible for the procedure, as it is deemed to risky to extract the tumor from the site.

This article was very interesting to me because of the novel design of the procedure. The surgeons were able to take natural pathways to excise the tumor without being to invasive. I am also fascinated by the brain’s structure and function, as well as surgery in general.

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/new_scarless_surgery_takes_out_tumors_through_natural_skull_opening