Day surgery for brain tumours on the NHS in Britain

A new brain surgery procedure could mean in the future that people in Britain with brain tumours may be offered day surgery under local anaesthetic on the National Health Service (NHS).

The technique has been developed by Britain's youngest female brain surgeon, Dr. Gelareh Zadeh at University College Hospital, London.

The new technique "freezes" the patient's scalp with a local anaesthetic before making an incision in their skull.

Experts say the use of a local rather than general anaesthetic makes operating easier and means the patient makes a faster recovery; they can also go home the same day rather than remain in hospital for up to a week.

The procedure was first performed in July this year on 52-year-old patient Deborah Calder, who remained awake throughout the surgery and was able to talk to her doctors throughout the operation.

Mrs Calder, who had cancer in her lungs before it spread to her brain, says the procedure was completely painless, and she was made to feel very relaxed; the operation has apparently given her "a new lease of life".

By evening she was at home with her family enjoying a cup of tea and has since made a full recovery.

As a rule a brain tumour is a very serious condition, and people require a great deal of support both before and after the operation.

The new technique has been described as potentially "very exciting" as it is less invasive than the usual surgery and the recovery period is much shorter.

The less time spent in hospital also lessens the likelihood of contracting an infection.

However, doctors say not all patients would be suitable for the treatment and also say there are downsides to going home so quickly and some might become anxious after the procedure about symptoms and not having access to the information they need at a crucial time.

Comments

The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of News Medical.
Post a new comment
Post

While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. We do not provide medical advice, if you search for medical information you must always consult a medical professional before acting on any information provided.

Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles.

Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Read the full Terms & Conditions.

You might also like...
Diagnostic performance of GPT-4 in analyzing radiology findings from brain tumors