Successful Removal of Brain Tumor in 86-Year-Old Elderly Patient via 'Minimally Invasive' Surgery Above Eyebrow

Seoul St. Mary's Hospital Neurosurgery Professor An Seudeuban
Removes Meningioma with 3cm Incision
Less Pain and Bleeding, Early Discharge

Professor Ansdeban, Department of Neurosurgery at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, is examining a patient who underwent minimally invasive excision surgery for meningioma.
[Photo by Seoul St. Mary's Hospital]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] Catholic University Seoul St. Mary's Hospital announced on the 10th that Professor An Se-devan of the Department of Neurosurgery recently succeeded in removing a meningioma in an 86-year-old female elderly patient through a minimally invasive incision above the eyebrow.

The patient visited the hospital due to visual impairment symptoms, and brain imaging revealed a saddle tubercle meningioma compressing the bilateral optic nerves. Meningioma is a type of brain tumor that arises from the meninges surrounding the brain. Symptoms vary depending on the location of occurrence, and in this patient, the meningioma compressed the optic nerve in a confined space, causing visual impairment.

Surgery was necessary to remove the brain tumor compressing the optic nerve, and considering the patient's advanced age, Professor An chose a minimally invasive surgical method. An incision of less than approximately 3.5 cm was made just above the eyebrow, and the brain tumor located between the patient's bilateral optic nerves was completely removed. The tumor was relatively large, measuring 3.2×3.5 cm in diameter.

[Photo by Seoul St. Mary's Hospital]

The patient, who underwent surgery on the 14th of last month, was discharged six days after the operation and visited the hospital on the 8th of this month for a regular check-up. The patient said, "I hesitated to have surgery due to my advanced age, but because my vision kept deteriorating and daily life became difficult, I decided to undergo surgery. The minimally invasive incision above the eyebrow improved my visual impairment symptoms, and recovery and discharge were faster than I expected, so I am very satisfied."

Professor An said, "Usually, when people think of brain surgery, they imagine a major operation requiring shaving the head, which makes patients and their families hesitant and fearful. However, brain tumors can be removed with such a small incision, reducing surgery time and postoperative pain, allowing discharge within 4 to 5 days after surgery in most cases." He added, "The success of this minimally invasive surgery above the eyebrow is significant in that even elderly patients can undergo surgery with reduced physical and psychological burdens."

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