Naples: Record-breaking surgery at Santobono Hospital: Rare brain tumor removed with laser on eight-year-old boy

NApoli – A rare vascular brain tumor was removed with extremely precise surgery on an eight-year-old boy. The operation was performed within the MRI scanner thanks to the combined use of an interstitial laser and an innovative nonmagnetic stereotactic system, one of the most advanced technologies in the international neurosurgical field.

The young patient suffered from a cavernous angioma located deep in the left hemisphere of the brain. The lesion caused frequent epileptic seizures.

The operation, performed at the Neurosurgery Department of the AORN Santobono-Pausilipon, was made possible thanks to the recent acquisition of the sophisticated instrumentation, donated through a testamentary bequest to the Santobono Foundation.

Millimetric precision and “no-iron” surgery

Leading the team is Professor Giuseppe Cinalli, director of the Neurosurgery Complex Operating Unit. "This is the first case in Italy in which a cerebral vascular lesion has been treated with this combination of technologies directly within the MRI," explains Cinalli.

The surgery lasted about five hours and was completed without complications. The young patient was discharged after just 24 hours in good clinical condition, with a quick return to his daily activities.

The procedure involved inserting a fiber-optic laser into the brain through a tiny skin incision and a cranial hole measuring just three millimeters. Stereotactic guidance, similar to a GPS system, allowed for real-time microcorrections throughout the procedure.

The MRI, transformed into a real operating room, allowed the entire procedure to be monitored without moving the patient.

A new standard in pediatric surgery

«The combination of interstitial laser and magnetic resonance imaging now allows for minimally invasive, safer, and less traumatic brain surgery – explains Dr. Giuseppe Mirone, pediatric neurosurgeon and head of the MRgLITT (Magnetic Resonance-guided Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy) program –.

Such complex interventions require teamwork: the contribution of Dr. Domenico Cicala (Neuroradiology), Dr. Emma Paparone (Anaesthesia) and all the healthcare personnel involved was fundamental."

The Santobono-Pausilipon Hospital was the first pediatric center in Europe to systematically adopt this technology, starting in 2019. "Today we confirm our position as a leader in Italy and among the leading European centers in pediatric laser neurosurgery," emphasized General Director Rodolfo Conenna, who publicly thanked Andrea Trapanese's family, thanks to whom it was possible to acquire the equipment.

A. Pug

Longtime contributor to Cronache della Campania
Always a careful observer of society and events.
He covers crime news and has collaborated with various newsrooms.