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Video: Trinity Mother Frances Neurosurgeon First in Region to Remove Brain Tumor Using Unique Surgical Procedure

Posted on: Thursday, 18 October 2007, 18:00 CDT

TYLER, Texas, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- A 32-year-old east Texas man is the first brain tumor patient in the region to benefit from a unique surgical procedure that removes pituitary tumors without making incisions in the skin. Sabatino Bianco, MD, a Trinity Clinic neurosurgeon and the Director of the Trinity Mother Frances Neuroscience Institute, is the first and only neurosurgeon in the region to offer patients an endoscopic transsphenoidal hypophysectomy (ETH). The procedure allows the removal of pituitary tumors through the nasal cavity.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061117/DAF023LOGO)

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/tmfneuroscience/30241/

"This technique originated in Naples, Italy and Pittsburgh and comparatively is offered by very few neurosurgeons in the world," said Dr. Bianco. "In order to perform this operation, a neurosurgeon must go through a long learning curve and have access to specialized endoscopic instrumentation and navigational system technology. The Trinity Mother Frances Neuroscience Institute is proud to be the first in east Texas to offer a complete neuroendoscopic suite and procedures for patients that reduce their pain, recovery time and eliminate travel requirements to distant medical locations."

The procedure eliminates the need for incisions and removal of nasal septum and/or nasal turbinates because the patient's nasal cavity is used to access the pituitary tumor. The pituitary gland is a small, cherry-shaped double structure located near the back of the nasal pathways and attached by a stalk to the base of the brain. It is the gland that affects and controls all hormonal functions in the body.

The procedure is performed using a small fiberoptic-like catheter shaped tool called an endoscope. The four-millimeter endoscope is inserted through a nasal cavity in front of the tumor and the tumor is extracted with special neurosurgical tools. Patients do not require the often uncomfortable nasal packing of conventional procedures and usually go home in 24-48 hours and can return to work in 4-6 weeks. Conventional procedure patients can remain in the hospital for 3-5 days following surgery and miss months of work.

"Conventional microscopic pituitary tumor surgery usually includes an incision under the patient's lip or inside of a nostril," added Dr. Bianco. "The endoscopic transsphenoidal hypophysectomy offers many advantages over the conventional methods, but the greatest advantage for patients is less discomfort and a much faster recovery."

Facts About The Procedure: -- A variety of pituitary tumors can be removed through a patient's nasal pathway. -- Eliminates the need for incisions in the skin, removal of nasal septum and/or nasal turbinates. -- Minimally-invasive, so facial swelling and postoperative pain are eliminated or reduced. -- Most patients go home in 24-48 hours. About Dr. Bianco:

Dr. Bianco attended medical school at the University of Naples Federico II in Naples, Italy. He completed a residency in neurosurgery at the University of Genoa in Liguria, Italy and a fellowship in neuroendoscopy at the University of Pittsburgh. He then completed an additional residency in neurosurgery at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston Salem, North Carolina. He is the Director of the Trinity Mother Frances Neuroscience Institute.

About The Trinity Mother Frances Neuroscience Institute:

The Trinity Mother Frances Neuroscience Institute is dedicated to specialized care of patients with brain and spine issues. Specialized equipment included in the Institute includes specialized visual brain mapping capabilities, a technologically advanced neuro microscope not currently in use at any other US Hospital, and a portable CT scanner for use in the TMF Neuro Intensive Care Unit.

For more information on procedures available through the Trinity Mother Frances Neuroscience Institute, call (903) 525-7995 or (877) 233-0018 or visit http://www.tmfneuroscience.com/.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061117/DAF023LOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Video: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/tmfneuroscience/30241

Trinity Mother Frances Neuroscience Institute

CONTACT: John Moore of Trinity Mother Frances Neuroscience Institute,+1-903-531-4542

Web site: http://www.tmfneuroscience.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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