Health Watch is a Public Service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.
This week on Health Watch, we’re talking about advances in technology and technique that improve the way doctors perform surgery. Previously, we learned about the Gamma Knife, which uses focused radiation to treat areas deep inside the brain that can’t be reached with traditional surgery.
But how do doctors know where to aim that deep inside the brain? Patients undergo brain scans that are entered into a computer program that gives a three-dimensional image of the brain. Doctors can then chart the course of the Gamma Knife beams. At UT Southwestern Medical Center, a team of specialists works together on these cases. The team includes neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, radiologists, neuro-interventional radiologists and physicists. Dr. Bruce Mickey, a UT Southwestern neurological surgeon, says combining expertise this way allows the team to determine the best treatment option for each patient.
Next: Another kind of surgical team.
###
February 2007
Health Watch is heard Monday through Friday nationwide on ABC Satellite Radio. Call your local radio station and ask if they carry the program.
