Transparent microballoon dissection in the surgical treatment of brain tumors

In spite of maximal microsurgical efforts, perilesional neural tissue can be injured by surgical instruments in the process of the separation and dissection of tumors. We hypothesized that transparent microballoon dissection could be helpful in the gentle separation of brain tissue from tumor by minimizing cerebral damage, and in separating sulcal and cisternal walls during surgical interventions on brain masses. We used the transparent microballoon dissection technique in 3 primary cases and 4 metastatic brain tumors that were verified with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Gentle separation of tumor from surrounding brain, reduction of cerebral damage, and separation of sulcal and cisternal walls were feasible in all patients. Postoperative CT and MRI showed satisfactory results in reducing perilesional cerebral damage. The transparent microballoon inflation technique is a useful microsurgical method for the gentle separation of tumors from surrounding brain tissue, minimizing cerebral damage, and separating sulcal and cisternal walls during surgical interventions for brain masses. Our conclusion is that using the microballoon dissection method may be suitable in microneurosurgical practice.