To make a referral to the Duke Center for Brain and Spine Metastasis, call 919-681-3038.
Duke neurosurgeon Peter Fecci, MD, PhD, recently completed his 100th LITT case (laser interstitial thermal therapy), using some of the world’s most advanced technology for brain surgery.
LITT is a minimally invasive technique that allows neurosurgeons to use light and heat energy to destroy brain tumor tissue without creating a large opening in the skull. The technology is also used to treat epilepsy.
Duke Neurosurgery was an early adopter of LITT, first offering it to patients in 2015. Today, it is one of the highest volume centers in the United States in terms of LITT use, with Fecci performing three to four cases each month, and patients coming from around the world.
The treatment is especially effective for the resection of tumors that are recurrent, deep, or otherwise inaccessible surgically – these can include primary tumors or those that have metastasized to the brain. “The advantage of LITT is that it can sometimes make the inoperable operable,” says Fecci, who is also the director of the Duke Center for Brain and Spine Metastasis. Because the procedure is minimally invasive, it is also especially appropriate for patients who have undergone prior radiation or who might have risks for undergoing larger surgery.