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Radiofrequency thermocoagulation uses radio waves through electrodes to heat and destroy tissue in the areas of the brain that are causing the seizures.
“Traditionally, the patient requires a craniotomy, meaning that the neurosurgeon will take off the skull, go into the brain and remove the area that is causing the seizures,” says Dr. Andrea Andrade, director of the pediatric epilepsy program at Children’s Hospital at the London Health Sciences Centre.
“Having the ability to have those electrodes placed in the area of interest via the robotic arm, our neurosurgeons were able to treat the area where her seizures were coming from without opening the skull.”
Andrade says the robotic arm used in the procedure, the ROSA One Brain, is a game changer, allowing surgeons to access deep areas of the brain that typically couldn’t be operated on.
“We are now trying to…decrease the scare that epilepsy surgery typically causes some people, and to tell families that (surgery) is not only for the most severe cases. We can look into those possibilities to reduce seizures and improve quality of life, which is the most important thing.”
According to Andrade, five other children have undergone the same procedure, and all have come out with their seizures lessened.
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globalnews.ca