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Why do patients choose glioma treatment abroad?
- Glioma removal is accurate and as safe as possible . Thanks to special 3D visualization units, the neurosurgeon sees all the anatomical features of the brain. It determines exactly where to make the incisions in order to remove the tumor as much as possible and preserve healthy tissue. The risk of neurological complications after such interventions is minimized.
- Neurosurgeons abroad specialize in low-traumatic surgeries . They remove the tumor through thin punctures, the size of which does not exceed the diameter of a pencil. The patient does not have large skull fractures and scars, and the recovery period is reduced from 2 weeks (with conventional interventions) to 7 days.
- Foreign neurosurgeons carry out the removal of brainstem glioma . Due to the technical difficulties in removing such a tumor, only a few highly qualified doctors perform such an operation.
- For radiation therapy, the most accurate and modern installations are used. Leading neurosurgical centers of the world use devices for irradiation manufactured in 2015-2018. The accuracy of the effect of such devices on the tumor is 0.5 mm, compared with several cm in earlier installations.
Bookimed has collected clinics around the world where modern methods of diagnosis and treatment of glioma are available. The rating is formed based on the choice of our patients. To get a detailed consultation of the coordinating doctor on your questions, clinics or the cost of procedures, leave a request on the website. You do not pay for Bookimed services.
What do clinics abroad offer for the treatment of brain glioma?
Removal of brain glioma
To remove brain glioma abroad, doctors perform endoscopic and open surgeries.
During endoscopic interventions, the tumor is excised through several punctures in the skull bone, the size of which is smaller than the diameter of a pencil. Special thin instruments make it possible to remove glioma in the most inaccessible places without damaging healthy areas of the brain. This reduces the invasiveness of the intervention, reduces the risk of complications, reduces the recovery period to 7 days (instead of 14 with open surgery).
Such interventions are indicated for single gliomas, the size of which does not exceed 5 cm.
Neurosurgeons abroad perform open surgeries for large and multiple brain tumors.
Glioma removal abroad is performed by doctors using modern computer navigation systems. They track the actions of the doctor and the location of surgical instruments in relation to different areas of the brain. Due to this, the risk of damage to healthy tissues and neurological functions is minimized. With the help of such systems, foreign neurosurgeons successfully perform even the most complex operations.
Radiation therapy for glioma
Radiation therapy is used for gliomas that cannot be removed surgically. In foreign hospitals, Cyber-knife and Trubeam (TrueBeam) devices with a Novalis linear accelerator (a new modification of the Gamma Knife) are used for this. Most of these units were released after 2015. Thanks to special tuning systems, they act on glioma with an accuracy of 0.5 mm. This is the highest accuracy available in modern medicine today.
Chemotherapy for glioma
Doctors prescribe chemotherapy for certain types of brain glioma. In addition to standard protocols in which drugs are administered intravenously or orally, foreign neurosurgeons use the method of intracranial drug administration. In this case, a special plate impregnated with a chemotherapy drug is installed in place of the removed tumor. So therapy directly affects cancer cells, therefore it is more effective.
What is important to know about glioma before starting treatment?
To choose the right treatment tactics, the doctor needs to accurately determine the degree of malignancy of the glioma, that is, how the tumor cells differ from normal brain cells.
In glioma, doctors distinguish 4 degrees of malignancy:
1 degree. This is a benign neoplasm that grows slowly and does not penetrate into neighboring tissues. Depending on its location and symptoms, the doctor may prescribe surgical removal or active observation, in which the patient should be examined at the intervals established by the doctor.
2 degree. Such a tumor develops slowly, but can penetrate into neighboring tissues. For its treatment, surgery or radiation therapy is indicated.
3 degree. Glioma grows rapidly and invades other tissues. The main methods of treatment are surgery and chemotherapy.
4 degree. The tumor grows rapidly and often returns after surgical removal. To treat her, doctors perform surgery and chemotherapy.
Why are the symptoms of the disease important to the doctor?
Knowing exactly how glioma manifests itself in a particular patient, the doctor can suggest its location. Based on this, he will adjust the program of diagnostics and treatment.
- Glioma in the frontal lobe of the brain is accompanied by changes in behavior (irritability, aggression), impaired vision, hearing, and smell.
- A tumor in the parietal region is accompanied by a loss of sensitivity, impaired speech and its perception.
- With a neoplasm in the temporal lobe, the patient has memory impairment, hallucinations, and convulsions.
- Glioma in the back of the head is manifested by impaired color perception and visual hallucinations.
How does the location of the tumor affect the choice of treatment?
The main task of a neurosurgeon in the treatment of glioma is the maximum removal of the tumor with a minimum risk of side effects. In this case, the neoplasm can be located in a zone inaccessible for surgical intervention, or in an area that is responsible for the vital functions of the body. In this case, the patient is prescribed radiation. If the size of the glioma is larger than the maximum allowable for such treatment, only chemotherapy is performed.
What diagnostics should be done before treatment?
For the diagnosis of cerebral glioma and the selection of treatment, doctors abroad carry out:
- urine and blood tests to assess the general condition of the body, identify possible infections, disorders in the liver and kidneys;
- dopplerography of the vessels of the brain, which creates a map of the blood flow and allows you to identify abnormal proliferation of blood vessels in the tumor area;
- MRI to accurately determine the location of the glioma, its size and how far it has grown into neighboring tissues;
- PET-CT, which is prescribed for high-grade glioma, to determine whether it is primary or a tumor metastasis in another organ;
- a biopsy of the tumor to determine its degree of malignancy.
It is not necessary for the patient to be assigned all of these procedures. The doctor draws up an individual diagnostic program depending on the characteristics of the state of health and the examination that was carried out earlier.
Where is glioma treated?
For the treatment of glioma abroad, Bookimed patients are most often chosen by medical centers in Germany, Israel, Turkey and Spain.
Glioma treatment in Germany
For the treatment of glioma in Germany, doctors perform endoscopic and open surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Here, patients are treated by leading European neurosurgeons, including Dr. Ralf Buhl (University Hospital Solingen). He has more than 4,000 neurosurgical operations on his account.
It will take about 2 weeks to receive the program from the selected hospital and organize a trip to Germany.
See all clinics in Germany for the treatment of brain glioma
Treatment of glioma in Israel
In Israel, doctors use modern methods of diagnostics, surgery and radiation therapy to treat glioma. Here, the patient can undergo an MRI with contrast in FLAIR mode. It suppresses side signals from the fluids circulating in the brain and allows you to create clear images of pathological areas. Thanks to this, the doctor determines the exact location of the tumor. Also available in Israel are low-traumatic puncture biopsy, endoscopic and open surgeries, intracranial chemotherapy, and modern irradiation devices.
The duration of the organization of the trip is 3 days.
See all Israeli clinics for the treatment of glioma
Glioma Treatment in Turkey
The neurosurgical centers of Turkey are among the best equipped. Some of them are included in the top most high-tech clinics in the world from the organization Top Master's in Healthcare Administration. This means that the latest equipment and techniques are used to treat patients.
Turkish doctors perform endoscopic and open surgeries, radiation on the latest generation devices, and chemotherapy.
Organization of a trip for glioma treatment in Turkey takes 3-5 days.
See all clinics in Turkey for the treatment of glioma
How to choose a clinic for treatment?
When choosing a clinic for the treatment of glioma, it is necessary to consider:
During operations, neurosurgeons must use neuronavigation and neuromonitoring systems. They allow the intervention to be most precise, remove the glioma to the maximum extent, and reduce the risk of postoperative complications due to the fact that they help the doctor not damage healthy brain tissue. For radiation therapy, doctors should use units manufactured after 2015. They have the highest accuracy available today - 0.5 mm. Such irradiation is more effective, without complications.
- Types of interventions that neurosurgeons specialize in.
The doctors of the clinic you choose should have experience in both open and endoscopic operations. This will allow you to remove the glioma in an optimal way, and not the only one possible in the conditions of one particular hospital.
Examine the CVs of the doctors you plan to undergo treatment with. He will take an interest in how many patients they had with similar tumors, how many operations they performed. It is important that the doctor has experience in complex interventions on the brain, in the use of high-tech equipment.
How to go to a clinic abroad for treatment of brain glioma?
In order to go abroad for brain glioma treatment, leave a request on the Bookimed website. You will be contacted by our medical coordinator who will answer your questions about the trip, clinic, diagnosis and possible procedures. He will help you choose the best medical center for your case, explain how to prepare statements and results of examinations performed at home for review by foreign doctors.
The medical coordinator will receive for you a preliminary program for the examination and treatment of glioma from the selected hospital. If it suits you, he will enroll you in a clinic, if not, he will continue to search for the best medical solution.
If you need help organizing your trip, our care department can help you with the purchase of tickets and accommodation. Our doctor coordinator will stay in touch with you during your stay in the clinic and after you return home.
You pay for the completed diagnostics and treatment at the clinic's cash desk. Bookimed services are free.