The BrainLab Fibertracking Navigation 3.0 Version for performing surgeries on Brain Tumours has been launched at the Hannah Joseph Hospital, Madurai.
This software 3.0 Version which is enabled with advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) from Germany has been launched here for the first time in South Asia & in India especially (Source : Brainlab, India). The earlier systems in use in some of the premier centres in our country are the Fibertracking Navigation Version 1.0 (from 2018) and 2.0 (from 2021). With this latest version many of the intra axial brain tumours like Gliomas can be removed with utmost precision without damaging the important fiber tracts in the brain that controls the functions like limb movements, speech, language and memory !
This Real Time navigation using Brainlab Fibertracking technology using DTI (Diffusion Tensor Imaging) images from the patient’s MRI is an image-guided tool, especially in brain tumour resection surgery. These Neuroimaging tools are essential for operative planning, particularly for maximising tumour resection, and at the same time, preserving brain function.
Speaking to the media Dr. M. J. Arunkumar, Chairman & Managing Director of the Hannah Joseph Hospital said, “We are glad to introduce the advance version of the Fibertracking Navigation system 3.0 for removing brain tumours from BrainLab. The introduction of this system will make Brain tumour surgery to be even more precise and at the same time aiding in maximal tumour resection. Once you achieve such radical removal of the brain tumour, radiation and chemotherapy becomes easier subsequently.
3 patients underwent removal of brain tumours namely glioma (glioblastoma) in the last one month using this new software version of the BrainLab Fibertracking (DTI) navigation version 3.0 The tumours was removed radically without causing any neurological deficits to the patient at the Hannah Joseph Hospital, Madurai. The surgery was performed by the team of Neurosurgeons, Neuro-Anesthesiologists, Neuroradiologists along with our team of Biomedical engineers, the application specialists from Brainlab assisted by the Neuro nurses and technical staff. The patient underwent the Brain MRI with DTI (Diffusion Tensor Imaging) at the MRI Suite of our hospital which has the compatibility to do the Fibertracking navigation with 3.0 version. This is done prior to the surgery & and MR images obtained are fed into the Brainlab Navigation system in the operating room (OR). Using the fiducial markers and IR (Infrared) ray guidance the tumour gets operated upon using micro-neurosurgical techniques. The relationship of the tumour to the neuronal fibres of the brain can be visualised in Real-time while navigating during the surgery. This also helps the Neurosurgeon to avoid any injury to the nerve tracts in the brain that controls vital neurological functions. 2 patients were discharged from the hospital on the 10 th post operative day & the patient who was recently operated is at the hospital without any neurological deficits.
We would like to thank Ms. Vibha Singh (New Delhi) & Mr Arthanareeswaran (Bangalore) of Brainlab, India for being with us initiating all processes in acquiring the 3.0 version of Fibertracking Navigation for Hannah Joseph Hospital, Madurai.”