Minimally Invasive Techniques for Brain Tumor Resection
Summary
Minimally invasive approaches to brain tumour resection have rapidly evolved to address the challenges of deep-seated and eloquent-area lesions while minimising damage to healthy tissue. Traditional open craniotomies have given way to refined corridors created along natural sulci, tubular retractors and expandable ports that maintain a narrow path to the target. Thermal ablation techniques, notably laser interstitial thermal therapy, permit precise destruction of tumour tissue under real-time MRI guidance, reducing operative time and hospital stay. Integration of advanced imaging modalities—such as diffusion MRI tractography and intraoperative ultrasound—with frameless neuronavigation and exoscopic or endoscopic visualisation has further enhanced procedural accuracy. Dynamic or “retractorless” strategies that exploit gravity, cerebrospinal fluid drainage and instrument-based retraction offer alternatives to fixed retractors, thereby lowering the risk of retraction-induced injury. Collectively, these innovations extend surgical candidacy to patients with previously inoperable tumours, improve postoperative functional outcomes and shorten recovery periods, marking a global shift towards safer, more effective neurosurgical oncology.
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Minimally Invasive Techniques for Brain Tumor Resection publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in minimally invasive techniques for brain tumor resection across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Parafascicular transulcal approach: A surgical corridor created along natural sulcal planes to access deep lesions while sparing white matter tracts.
Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT): A minimally invasive ablation technique that uses laser-induced heat under MR guidance to destroy tumour tissue.
Finite element simulation: A computational modelling method that predicts stress and deformation within brain tissue during surgical manipulation.
Tractography: An imaging technique derived from diffusion MRI that maps white matter pathways to guide safe surgical corridors.
Tubular retractor: A cylindrical access device that maintains a narrow corridor to deep lesions, minimising brain retraction injury.
References
- Standardization of Strategies to Perform a Parafascicular Tubular Approach for the Resection of Brain Tumors in Eloquent Areas. Brain Sciences (2023).
- A comparison of brain retraction mechanisms using finite element analysis and the effects of regionally heterogeneous material properties. Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology (2024).
- Contemporary Surgical Management of Deep-Seated Metastatic Brain Tumors Using Minimally Invasive Approaches. Frontiers in Oncology (2018).
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