Montreal Children's Hospital inaugurates Brain Suite intraoperative MRI

The Montreal Children's Hospital inaugurates its new Brain Suite, home to the first intraoperative magnetic resonance (MRI) in a Canadian pediatric hospital and the first in Quebec.

This cutting edge technology gives the three neurosurgeons at The Montreal Children's Hospital unprecedented views of the brain before, during and after surgery thus improving the accuracy of procedures.

"The new intraoperative MRI will give us a tremendous advantage as we navigate through the brain to remove tumours," says Dr. Jean-Pierre Farmer, Chief of surgery and a member of the neurosurgery team. "Traditionally, during brain surgery, we are guided by MRI images taken prior to the procedure. But during brain surgery, the brain can actually shift as a result of a slight movement of the head, retraction of the brain, or the draining of cerebrospinal fluid. Thus the images the neurosurgeon is relying on are no longer as precise later during the case. With the new MRI, we will have access to images of the brain in real time, this will allow us to be much more accurate at determining where the tumour begins ends. Furthermore the 3 Tesla technology of the new magnet allows us to identify eloquent areas that we need to avoid entering as we resect tumours or epileptic tissue."

With an intraoperative MRI, surgeons can take a picture of the brain during surgery. This allows surgeons to know immediately if the entire tumour was removed. If it hasn't they can quickly go back and remove more. This could eliminate unnecessary second operations for patients.

This more than $ 10 million project was made possible thanks to generous donors of The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation, including Opération Enfant Soleil, The Sarah Cook Fund and Hydro-Québec.

WHEN: October 26, 2009 at 10:30 WHERE: The Montreal Children's Hospital 2300 Tupper Street Amphitheatre (D-182) WHO: M. Gerry Sklavounos, Parliamentary assistant to Minister of Health and Social Services and MNA Laurier-Dorion Dr. Jean-Pierre Farmer, neurosurgeon and Surgeon-in-Chief Emilie Gagnon, child who underwent brain surgery with her mum Ann Dignard and dad Eric Gagnon A tour of the Brain Suite will be possible after the press conference.

Source: THE MONTREAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

Source: MCGILL UNIVERSITY HEALTH CENTRE

Source: THE MONTREAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION