The laser that can shine a light on brain cancer cells: Technique that makes surgery faster is used in UK for first time
A laser that bounces beams of light off the brain has been used in cancer surgery in the UK for the first time.
The technology can distinguish healthy from diseased tissue, making the operation faster and more accurate.
Precision is particularly important in brain surgery, as taking away too much tissue can permanently damage speech, memory and other vital functions.
Reuben Hill, the only person to be given the laser treatment anywhere in the world outside Canada, has made a complete recovery.
Remarkably, the doctors woke him during the surgery and asked him to sing – to check they hadn't damaged key areas of the brain.
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The 22-year-old had a golf ball-sized tumour in a part of the brain that deals with language and communication.
Kevin O'Neill, head of neurosurgery at Imperial College London, which is carrying out a trial of the laser, said: 'The potential is amazing'.
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