We are happy to share very exciting news regarding a novel neurosurgical technology recently introduced and performed by Dr. Darakchiev at Good Samaritan Hospital (GSH), part of Catholic Health (former Catholic Health System). This technology, approved by FDA just a few years ago, allows the neurosurgeon operating on malignant brain tumors to better see the full extent of the tumor and accomplish a more complete resection. Two weeks ago Dr. Darakchiev performed the first such Gleolan – assisted brain tumor surgery at Good Samaritan Hospital on one of his patients. Тhе malignant tumor was successfully removed and the patient recovered extremely well, without any side effects. We will share with you more on this story and technique through Good Samaritan’s publications and our own releases.
Dr. Darakchiev explains how Gleolan works, “Gleolan is an imaging agent which is taken two hours prior to a procedure in order to cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in tumor cells. Under a blue light source, the tumor cells release a pinkish fluorescence while normal brain cells remain blue. This allows larger sections of the brain tumor to be identified and removed.”
Malignant brain tumors are very invasive and during surgery, only a small section of the tumor is visible with the rest being buried within brain tissues. The new technology will help surgeons like Dr. Darakchiev to better identify the exact size and remove more damaged cells which will minimize the chance of tumor recurrence.
Dr. Darakchiev is confident that this new technology will significantly prolong the life of his patients and bring hope to many people who have just faced this or similar conditions.
