Brain Tumor Neurosurgery

Brain tumor neurosurgery is a specialized field of neurosurgery that involves the surgical treatment of tumors that develop in the brain or spinal cord. These tumors can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous) and can vary in size, location, and aggressiveness. The goal of brain tumor neurosurgery is to remove as much of the tumor as possible while minimizing any potential damage to surrounding healthy tissue. There are several different techniques and approaches used in brain tumor neurosurgery, including open surgery, minimally invasive surgery, and radiosurgery. The most appropriate approach for a particular patient will depend on a variety of factors, including the type and location of the tumor, the patient's overall health, and the potential risks and benefits of each approach.

Brain tumor neurosurgery can be a complex and challenging field, requiring a high level of skill and expertise on the part of the neurosurgeon. However, advances in technology and surgical techniques have made it possible to treat many types of brain tumors with a high degree of success, leading to improved outcomes and quality of life for patients.

Brain tumors that are commonly seen in patients-

• Acoustic neuroma

• Anaplastic astrocytoma

• Arachnoid cyst

• Astrocytoma brain tumor

• Meningioma

• Chordoma

Types of surgery

• Awake Craniotomy - performed in a sedated but awake patient.

• Neuro-Endoscopic tumor removal: used to remove-

  • Skull base tumors

  • Pineal region tumors

  • Pituitary tumors

  • Rathke’s cleft cysts

  • Ventricular tumors

Neuroendoscopy@Cancer Research UK

• Minimally invasive brain tumor surgery

  • MRI guided laser ablation

  • Gamma knife radiosurgery

  • Trans-sphenoidal surgery

  • Keyhole surgery 

  • Robot assisted surgery

Advancement and future scope in the field 

Resection of brain tumors occurring in the functional neural networking area may lead to disability of varying degrees. Improvements in our understanding of the integration of tumors within the body, human cognitive function, information and language processing, and advanced imaging techniques have greatly enhanced the surgical management of intrinsic brain tumors in areas that are vital for communication.

For example- Gliomas, found in the frontal and temporal lobes, often cause cognitive impairments in executive function, language, learning, and memory. While surgery may result in focal impairments, chemotherapy and radiotherapy tend to affect distributed networks, leading to impaired processing speed, attention and concentration, and motivation. Postacute cognitive rehabilitation addresses these issues and typically consists of three phases: acquisition, where patients learn about their cognitive vulnerabilities and strengths and compensatory strategies to improve daily functioning; application, where patients practice compensatory strategies through in-session exercises to improve self-awareness and build self-efficacy for managing cognitive impairments; and adaptation, where patients generalize compensation strategies learned outside of rehabilitation sessions and integrate rehearsed skills into daily functioning to optimize self-efficacy of HRQOL goals and foster community integration.