MUHC surgeon uses video-assisted surgery to remove cancerous tumour from skull base of patient

After a delicate six-hour surgery, MUHC surgeon Dr. Mark Samaha successfully removed a cancerous tumour from the skull base of a sixty-six-year-old patient yesterday.

Due to the surgical expertise of Dr Mark Samaha and state-of-the-art video-guided surgery the tumour was excised from the base of the patient's brain. In the past, more invasive surgical procedures were required to remove a tumour of this nature and location and involved spending several weeks recovering in the hospital.

With this advanced precision technology, a tiny telescope connected to a camera is inserted through the nose, and the tumour is removed. The surgeon operates while watching the video monitor. The patient loses very little blood and spends only a day or two recovering. "This video-guided surgical technique allows us to perform more complex surgeries by facilitating delicate maneuvering around tiny but sensitive vital structures. This, in turn, translates into shorter hospital stays, more rapid recovery and a speedy return to regular routine for our patients," explained MUHC surgeon Dr Mark Samaha.