Minimally Invasive Hematoma Evacuation Using the MindsEye Expandable Tubular Retractor: A Technical Note

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Minimally Invasive Surgery

Background:

• Advances in neuronavigation and cranial access devices are driving interest in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for subcortical lesions.
• Expandable retractors, like the MindsEye system, are optimizing parafascicular approaches for treating deep brain lesions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the technical nuances of using the MindsEye expandable retractor for minimally invasive parenchymal hematoma evacuation.
• To evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients treated with the MindsEye system for spontaneous multicompartment intracranial hematoma.

Main Methods:

• The MindsEye system, an expandable brain access port, was utilized for parenchymal hematoma evacuation.
• A retrospective review of three patients with spontaneous multicompartment intracranial hematoma treated with the MindsEye system was conducted.

Main Results:

• A video case demonstrated successful transfrontal parenchymal hematoma evacuation using the MindsEye retractor in under 90 minutes.
• All reviewed cases achieved near-total clot removal and mass effect resolution without procedure-related postoperative decline.

Conclusions:

• Minimally invasive parafascicular approaches with tubular retractors are effective for subcortical lesions.
• The MindsEye system is the first expandable brain access port designed for deep intracranial lesion removal, enhancing neurosurgical armamentarium.