Blue Bird Circle Clinic
Patients First in the World to Undergo MRI-guided Laser Surgery for
Ground-Breaking Epilepsy Treatment
Houston, Texas – July 28, 2011 - Blue Bird Circle Clinic
doctors, patients and volunteers joined officials from Texas Children’s
Hospital (TCH) on July 18, 2011 to publicly announce an unprecedented MRI-guided
laser surgery for epilepsy patients. The
remarkable joint-efforts of dedicated
doctors and researchers aided by Blue Bird Circle financial grants led to the
new treatment method that significantly reduces risk of patient complications
and recovery time.
The first-of-its-kind treatment was introduced to pediatric
epilepsy patients at the Blue Bird Circle Clinic for Pediatric Neurology. The initial
surgeries were performed by Dr. Daniel Curry, along with his Clinic associate, Dr.
Angus Wilfong.
To date, five landmark procedures have been performed by Dr.
Curry, who used real-time MRI-guided thermal imaging and laser technology to
destroy lesions in the brain that cause epilepsy and uncontrollable seizures.
These successful procedures were performed on Blue Bird Circle Clinic epilepsy
patients ranging in age from five to 15 years old, with widely varied types of
brain lesions. In all cases, patients
have been seizure-free since surgery and most were released within one to five
days.
According to hospital experts, this new surgical approach
offers a safer and significantly less invasive alternative to craniotomy,
currently the most commonly used cranial surgical treatment for epilepsy. For high-risk patients with deep brain
lesions, this new technique can be particularly life-changing because the
MRI-guided laser probe utilizes a much smaller pathway through the brain to reach
a deep lesion.
"While we have been successful in curing epilepsy
through open cranial surgery for quite some time, the benefits of this new
approach in reducing risk and invasiveness while providing instant therapeutic
effect may open the door for more epilepsy patients to see surgery as a viable
option," said Curry.
More than three million people in the U.S. are
affected by epilepsy, including about 300,000 children under the age of 14.
Uncontrollable seizures can affect a child's memory, concentration, motor
skills, school performance and quality of life.
Drug therapies control seizures in about 60 percent of those with
epilepsy. Invasive craniotomy, nerve stimulation and special diets are
treatment options for patients who do not respond to medication.
About The Blue Bird Circle
Established in 1923 and celebrating 88 years of continuous
community service, The Blue Bird Circle provides support to the Blue Bird
Circle Clinic for Pediatric Neurology at Texas Children’s Hospital.
Since affiliating with Texas Children’s Hospital in 2001,
the Circle has supported The Blue Bird Clinic at TCH with more than $10 million
in grants, as well as nearly 1 million volunteer hours. The Clinic is devoted
to the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric neurological problems, and provides
a comprehensive program that addresses developmental and neuromuscular
problems. All attempts are made to provide resources for patients with limited
financial means. The Clinic in the last five years has expanded from
seeing 5,000 children per year to over 20,000 patient visits per year.