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Krembil Neuroscience Centre (KNC)
Neurovascular Disease - ELANA:New Laser By-pass Surgery for the Brain
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The Krembil Neuroscience Centre is the first in Canada to have an excimer laser to treat patients with the ELANA (Excimer Laser Assisted Non-occlusive Anastomosis) technique. ELANA is used to treat patients with complex brain aneurysms. The laser enables neurovascular surgeons, like Dr. Michael Tymianski, to create a new path for blood to flow around the aneurysm, without stopping blood flow and reducing the chance of stroke. A surgery like this can greatly increase the chance of survival for patients with brain aneurysms. The excimer laser was obtained thanks to a generous donation to the Toronto General and Western Hospital Foundation.
The ELANA Technique |
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The recipient artery is not occluded with clips. No perforation is made just yet. The Elana ring slides over the donor vessel. The donor vessel is sutured to the recipient artery together with the Elana ring. |
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A hollow catheter conducting laser light is slid in the donor vessel. By means of a vacuum pump the hollow catheter sucks the wall of the main blood vessel against the catheter. With laser light the catheter cuts a round hole in the wall of the main vessel. The metal ring ensures that the catheter sits in place and doesn’t shoot through. |
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The catheter is retracted from the donor vessels where blood will instantly start flowing. The donor vessels (not the main vessel) are occluded temporarily with a clip. The cut out tissue of the blood vessel wall is sucked against the catheter tip |
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The donor vessels are sutured together. The clips are now removed from the donor vessels and the blood flows through. |
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The aneurysm can now be taken out of the blood circulation. |
Source: www.elana.com |
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