Newswise — NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. - Doctors at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School are the first in the tri-state region - and only the seventh nationally - to use laser ablation, a revolutionary, minimally invasive laser technology that utilizes light energy, to treat epilepsy.
Doctors successfully performed the first procedure in December 2011 on a 61-year-old man who had been suffering from epileptic seizures since childhood. The patient has been seizure-free since that time.
During the procedure, a team led by Shabbar Danish, M.D., Director, Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery and Assistant Professor of Surgery at UMDNJ-RWJMS, delivered laser energy through a 1/8 inch hole in the patient's skull to target the area of the brain that is responsible for causing the seizures. As light is delivered through the catheter-directed laser probe, temperatures in the targeted area begin to rise, gradually destroying the unwanted tissue in the frontal lobe portion of the brain, leaving the surrounding areas untouched.
The entry hole through the skull is about the size of the end of a pen and requires just one stitch and a small bandage following the procedure. Only local anesthesia is used. The patient returned home one day after the procedure and remains seizure free. Doctors will continue to monitor his progress over the next several months to determine if the procedure has permanently cured his seizures.
"Because laser ablation is a much less invasive approach than traditional surgery to treat epilepsy, it reduces the risk for many post-surgical complications such as infections, bleeding, speech difficulties and vision problems," Dr. Danish notes. "The recovery time is much shorter and in these cases, the patients returned home within one to two days."
According to Stephen Wong, M.D., an Assistant Professor of Neurology at UMDNJ-RWJMS and RWJUH who specializes in epilepsy and neurophysiology, the technology is an effective surgical alternative that provides new hope for epileptic patients whose seizures cannot be controlled with medications.
"As our first patient's seizures became more severe and frequent, he began to suffer from seizure-related psychotic episodes, which led to antipsychotic drugs and further medication-related side effects," Dr. Wong explains. "Due to his multiple medical complications, he was a poor candidate for the standard surgical resection. Without the laser procedure, the patient's quality of life and independence would continue to diminish over time."
Dr. Wong estimates that three million people suffer from epilepsy in the United States. Of that number, there are approximately 300,000 individuals who may require surgery to treat their seizures and who could potentially benefit from laser ablation.
A second procedure was successfully performed in February on a 27-year-old woman who also experienced epileptic seizures since childhood. She has been seizure-free for about one month.
Produced by Visualase, laser ablation is the latest addition to RWJUH and UMDNJ-RWJMS' growing expertise and capabilities in the division of neuroscience. The Neuroscience Department is dedicated to the research and treatment of a wide range of neurological disorders.
RWJUH and UMDNJ-RWJMS serve as a major referral center for patients with movement disorders, including Parkinson's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy and dystonia, epilepsy, stroke, multiple sclerosis, neurogenetic disorders, neuromuscular disorders, such as ALS (Lou Gehrig disease) and myasthenia gravis, nervous systems disorders affecting vision, including optic neuritis, and neurobehavioral disorders such as dementia.
For more information about laser ablation treatment, please visit www.rwjuh.edu/laser-ablation-for-brain-tumor-treatment.
For information or a referral to a physician affiliated with RWJUH, please call 1-888-MD-RWJUH.###
About Robert Wood Johnson University HospitalRobert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) is a 600-bed academic medical center and the principal hospital of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, NJ. Robert Wood Johnson is an innovative leader in advancing state-of-the-art care. RWJUH is the first hospital in the nation to implant the AbioCor self-contained artificial heart since the device received FDA approval in 2006. RWJUH is one of only three sites in the nation approved to offer this groundbreaking technology. Its Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, and women’s and children’s care including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org). The hospital is also a Level 1 Trauma Center and serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness. The hospital has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety. RWJUH ranks among the best hospitals in America, according to U.S.News & World Report’s 2011 ranking of “America’s Best Hospitals.” It is the fifth consecutive year that RWJUH has achieved this prestigious ranking. The American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer has rated RWJUH among the nation's best comprehensive cancer centers. The Leapfrog Group rated RWJUH as one of the 50 exceptional U.S. hospitals, as published in Consumers Digest magazine. Harvard University researchers, in a study commissioned by The Commonwealth Fund, identified RWJUH as one of the top 10 hospitals in the nation for clinical quality. RWJUH is also a four-time recipient of the prestigious Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence. Visit us online at www.rwjuh.edu.
About UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolAs one of the nation’s leading comprehensive medical schools, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in education, research, health care delivery, and the promotion of community health. In cooperation with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the medical school’s principal affiliate, they comprise New Jersey’s premier academic medical center. In addition, RWJMS has 34 hospital affiliates and ambulatory care sites throughout the region, and as one of the eight schools of UMDNJ with 2,500 full-time and volunteer faculty, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School encompasses 22 basic science and clinical departments. The medical school maintains educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels for more than 1,500 students on its campuses in New Brunswick, Piscataway, and Camden, and provides continuing education courses for health care professionals and community education programs.
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