Dr. Clark Chen, MD, PhD, Neurosurgeon and former UMN Medical School Chair of Neurosurgery successfully removed a brain tumor with the ClearPoint surgical navigation device. The surgery performed at the University of Minnesota Medical Center was the first in the state to utilize this minimally invasive procedure.

The surgery is performed in an MRI suite and eliminates the need to move the patient to and from an operating room and an MRI scanner. The direct visualization of events allows maneuvers to be adjusted in real-time, improving the safety of the procedure. The ClearPoint system is the only available navigation platform that allows continuous intra-procedural MRI guidance during an operation.

“When surgeries are performed in a conventional operating room, large skin incisions and removal of a significant portion of the skull are often required to prevent injury to the delicate anatomic structures that can otherwise not be visualized. By combining the ClearPoint and the laser technology, I was able to safely treat a large tumor through an incision smaller than a pencil eraser,” said Chen.

The patient fully recovered and was discharged home the day after surgery.Â