Brain and Spinal Tumor Surgery

Treatment for Spine and Brain Tumors

BIDMC provides state-of-the-art surgical care for patients with benign or cancerous tumors of the brain or spine.

We collaborate with other specialists in our multidisciplinary Brain Tumor Program, which offers multidisciplinary expertise in diagnosing and treating all common brain and spinal cord tumors. Treatment is highly individualized to achieve the best possible results, incorporating the latest, most effective therapies, including state-of-the-art surgical techniques such as:

• 3-D computer-assisted surgical navigation to locate tumors and map surgical strategy
• Endoscopic biopsy and excision of pituitary or intraventricular tumors
• Skull-base surgery for removal of tumors, such as meningiomas, chordomas, and vestibular schwannomas (acoustic neuromas), with minimum brain retraction
• Using microscopes, lasers, ultrasonic aspirators, and an EMF vaporizer to remove tumors from critical structures 

When surgery is not an option or when additional treatments are needed, patients may be treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (CyberKnife), fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy, and IMRT (intensity modulated radiation therapy) to precisely target radiation to their tumor while sparing normal tissue as much as possible.