The physicians of the Brain and Spine Tumor Program at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin specialize in treating tumors in complex areas of the brain, spine and spinal cord. We offer patients the best chance of fighting disease while preserving physical and cognitive abilities.

Researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin – including two members of the Brain and Spine Tumor Program – have developed a new software system that helps physicians plan safer tumor surgeries. The system is known as Prism, and patients at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin were the first in the world to benefit from this new imaging tool.

Brain surgery can lead to complications such as paralysis or impeded speech. To reduce the risk of these complications, physicians use a variety of diagnostic imaging technologies to map critical brain structures before surgery. The Prism system enhances the surgical planning process by merging separate diagnostic images into a single unified view. By integrating the various imaging sources, Prism helps surgeons understand complex spatial relationships and more easily identify brain structures that need to be avoided. That helps them create surgical plans with the best chance of preserving brain function and patient ability.

Tumors of the spinal cord are very rare, so it is important for patients with a spinal cord tumor to receive care from physicians who are experienced in treating these malignancies. Shekar Kurpad, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin neurosurgeon, has extensive experience using microsurgical techniques and neurophysiological monitoring to operate on tumors that abut the spinal cord or are growing within the cord tissue itself.

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