Today, Peter Fecci, MD, PhD, and the Duke Neurosurgery team were celebrated for hitting the 200-case milestone for laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) cases.
LITT is a minimally invasive surgical technique that uses a small laser to destroy unhealthy brain tissue. It can be an effective treatment option for recurrent brain tumors, radiation necrosis, and tumors that form deep within the brain. It is also used to treat certain types of epilepsy.
Also called laser ablation or thermal ablation, LITT provides the benefits of traditional brain surgery with less risk and a shorter recovery time. Because the procedure is minimally invasive, it is especially appropriate for patients who have undergone prior surgery or radiation or have a health condition that increases risks associated with traditional brain surgery.
Fecci is professor of neurosurgery and director of the Duke Center for Brain and Spine Metastasis. He was an early adopter of the new technology, and has some of the most experience of any surgeon; Duke is among the top institutions for the number of LITT procedures performed each year in the U.S.
In all, Duke neurosurgeons have performed 244 LITT procedures to date.
Learn more about the therapy on dukehealth.org.