UPMC Center for Image-Guided Neurosurgery

Brain tumors are the growth of abnormal cells that can be cancer or benign (not cancer).

Symptoms of a brain tumor include:

• Headaches.
• Vomiting.
• Balance issues.
• Speech problems.
• Seizures.
• Blurred vision.

Some brain tumors we treat with image-guided neurosurgery include:

• Brain metastases.
• Gliomas, including glioblastoma.
• Meningiomas.
• Skull-base tumors.

Acoustic neuroma, also called vestibular schwannoma, is a benign, slow-growing tumor. It grows on the nerve that leads from the brainstem to the ear.

Symptoms include:

• Hearing loss.
• Ringing in the ear.
• Balance problems.

AVM is a defect in how the arteries and veins connect. It disrupts blood flow and often occurs in the brain or spine.

People born with AVM might not have symptoms until adulthood.

Symptoms include:

• Seizures.
• Headaches.
• Numbness.

Trigeminal neuroma happens when a blood vessel presses on a facial nerve. The compressed nerve causes intense pain.

The simple act of brushing your teeth or washing your face can trigger it.

Gamma Knife® uses radiation beams to treat tumors and other brain disorders. This targeted approach reduces the damage to the rest of the brain.

The treatment:

• Breaks the brain tumor cells' genetic material.
• Stops the cell from making copies of itself.
• Shrinks the tumor.

UPMC was the first to use this technique in the U.S. and has been a leader since.

FGS of brain tumors uses a safe dye (Gleolan®) to light up the brain tumor.

The person drinks a liquid that contains the dye, which is absorbed into the blood and reaches the tumor.

Brain surgeons at UPMC's Center for Image-Guided Neurosurgery were the first to perform FGS to remove brain tumors using Gleolan. They also helped conduct the first multicenter FGS clinical trial in the U.S.

LITT is minimally invasive surgery to treat brain tumors. It heats the tumor precisely to make chemo work better.

Doctors use MRI imaging during LITT to aim heat right on the tumor.

Recovery time is brief — most people can go home a day later.

Microsurgery uses high-powered microscopes and special tools.

Types of this form of brain surgery include:

• Clipping an aneurysm to stop its blood supply.
• Awake craniotomy, which lets surgeons check your speech and movement during the procedure.

Neuroendoscopic surgery removes brain tumors and colloid cysts. It's minimally invasive.

Surgeons use a neuroendoscope — a tiny, flexible tube with a camera on the end of it.

The scope lets surgeons access hard-to-reach parts of the brain through a small hole in the skull. It allows for better recovery compared to a more invasive craniotomy.

The robot-controlled exoscope uses a high-def digital imaging system with voice control.

It helps surgeons see and remove brain tumors while avoiding the parts of the brain that control brain functions.