On May 24, Wu Jian, Director of Head and Neck Cancer Center, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, and his team succeeded in resecting a giant parapharyngeal space tumor with mixed reality (MR) after a three-hour surgery. MR, once seen in science fiction films, has recently been used by doctors in tumor resection.
Ms. Wang, aged 83, was recently diagnosed with a parapharyngeal space tumor. According to Dr. Wu, this type of cancer is uncommon and features asymptomatic incidental findings. The surgery was challenging because the parapharyngeal space has complex and rich vascular and neural structures. Besides, the senescent patient suffered from several chronic diseases, adding to the surgery's headwinds.
How do we minimize surgical difficulty and risk? Dr. Wu proposed that they could use MR to perform a 3D reconstruction of the patient's head, neck, and tumor, to present the tumor's location and size, depth of invasion, and relationship with surrounding blood vessels. As a result, preoperative evaluation could be more accurate.
The doctor with a pair of MR glasses. (iChongqing file photo)
MR technology allows CT and MRI images to be imported into the software for 3D reconstruction. The 3D models will then be downloaded to the holographic head-mounted display, enabling doctors to see real-time photos. Doctors can see through the skin to know the status quo of tumors and their surrounding blood vessels and tissues.
Dr. Wu believed that the technology made surgical simulation possible to help decide the optimal treatment plan. With these efforts, doctors can figure out ways to protect vital blood vessels and tissues during the surgery, reduce complications, and provide sound conditions for a better postoperative life.
Looking at the giant tumor, experts agreed that the transcervical approach was better for vital vascular and neural structures protection and, therefore, ensured an accurate and safe surgery.
"Why do I need an operation on my neck when I have a tumor in my mouth?" Ms. Wang was confused about the treatment plan. To assure her, the team helped Ms. Wang wear a pair of MR glasses and rehearsed different treatment plans to explain their respective merits and demerits. "After that, I became less nervous," said Wang.
Three hours later, the doctors had removed the giant parapharyngeal space tumor at last. Dr. Wu said that as patients and their relatives lacked medical knowledge, it was difficult for them to understand why the surgeries were challenging. "With MR, they can comprehend their conditions through 3D images, making it easier for them to follow doctors' guidance." Ms. Wang has recovered well by now.