China News Service, Shanghai, March 25 (Chen Jing, Chen Xiaqiong, Xiao Xin) Reporters learned on the 25th that a team of Shanghai medical experts, with the assistance of a robotic surgical system, performed a one-time surgery to remove 5 meningiomas for the patient. 65-year-old Ms. Zheng (pseudonym) did not have any neurological dysfunction after the operation, all indicators recovered well, and she was successfully discharged from the hospital.
Professor Zhang Zhiwen of Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University (hereinafter referred to as Shanghai Fourth Hospital) explained in an interview that day that the robotic surgical system can fuse multi-modal images such as cerebral blood vessels and intracerebral nerve fiber bundles to clearly identify lesions and blood vessels. , the relationship between nerve fiber bundles can achieve high-precision target positioning. By simulating surgical approaches and designing optimal surgical incisions and paths, doctors can maximize precise minimally invasive surgery, reduce surgical risks, and preserve the patient's neurological function.
It is understood that meningiomas often originate from the dura mater, arachnoid granules and leptomeninges. They are the most common benign tumors of the nervous system, accounting for approximately 20% of all intracranial primary tumors. Meningiomas usually grow slowly, and the clinical symptoms of meningiomas in different locations vary. Meningiomas that grow in non-functional areas of the brain often have no obvious symptoms in the early stages because the tumors are small. When the tumor gradually grows and enlarges, compressing the brain tissue in adjacent functional areas of the brain, different neurological symptoms may occur.
Tumor enlargement leads to increased intracranial pressure, which may cause headaches, nausea and vomiting; tumor compression of the optic nerve may cause changes in vision and visual field; if the tumor involves the cortical motor area of the precentral gyrus of the brain, patients may suffer from hemiplegia, aphasia, etc. Epilepsy is also a common symptom of meningiomas. It is mainly caused by the tumor compressing, stimulating or eroding brain tissue, causing abnormal discharge of neurons. Complete cure is achieved after surgical removal of the tumor. Some meningiomas grow invasively and malignantly, and are called malignant meningiomas. In addition to total surgical resection, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are also used when necessary.
In mid-March, while exercising in the park as usual, Ms. Zheng suddenly fell and was rushed to Shanghai Fourth Hospital. The head CT examination showed that there were multiple spaces occupying the forehead and top of her skull. She was considering intracranial tumors and needed surgical treatment. Professor Zhang Zhiwen, director of the neurosurgery department of the hospital, told reporters that Ms. Zheng had multiple intracranial tumors. The tumors were concentrated in the language and motor functional areas of the brain. Some tumors were closely related to the superior sagittal sinus, the main intracranial return vein.
Ms. Zheng also told reporters that before medical treatment, she had experienced multiple unconscious body twitches and then fell. Zhang Zhiwen told reporters that this may be related to the fall after the tumor stimulated the cerebral cortex in the motor area to induce epilepsy. In order to prevent recurrent epileptic seizures and further tumor growth, which may lead to hemiplegia, aphasia, increased intracranial pressure, or even life-threatening conditions, surgical removal of the tumor is required as early as possible.
After detailed discussions, the surgical team developed a thorough surgical plan for Ms. Zheng. Before the operation, the doctor used a neurosurgery robot to accurately locate multiple lesions of different sizes, mark the projection position of the tumor on the scalp surface, and accurately draw the scalp incision and bone flap design.
Under the microscope, the medical team completely removed 5 meningiomas located next to the sagittal sinus of the left cerebral hemisphere and in the language and motor functional areas in one go. The patient recovered smoothly after the operation, and the neurological dysfunctions such as hemiplegia and aphasia that she had been worried about did not appear; after the operation, her epilepsy symptoms also disappeared. (over)