IMRIS has recently reported on the presentation of preliminary results of the first randomized trial that studied the resection of low-grade insular glioma using high-field intraoperative MR imaging.
The study, performed in a VISIUS Surgical Theatre, showed significantly greater extent of tumor resection, better rates of total resection and better long-term morbidity for the group undergoing surgery with intraoperative MR imaging (iMRI), compared to the control group without iMRI.
Dr. Xiaolei Chen, Associated Professor, Neurosurgery at the Chinese PLA General Hospital in Beijing, presented his findings during the plenary session at the annual meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons currently underway in Miami Beach, FL. Dr. Mitchel Berger, Chairman, Department of Neurological Surgery at UCSF and President Elect of AANS, acted as the official discussant during the session.
Following the presentation, Dr. Berger commented: "This study reinforces that iMRI is an excellent tool to help us achieve a complete tumor resection.
Extent of tumor resection has been linked to improved patient survival, thus, iMRI will be helpful in allowing us to achieve that goal".
Chinese PLA General Hospital in Beijing was the first hospital in China to install a VISIUS Surgical Theatre featuring a ceiling mounted, 1.5T intraoperative MR in February 2009 and has already treated over 800 patients.
In the trial, which Dr. Chen began in April 2009, 81 patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the iMRI group or the control group.
