SKILL IN SURGERY

Shannon News, 10 May 1927, Page 4

SKILL IN SURGERY

A DELICATE OPERATION.

TUMOUR O>N THE BRAIN.

SYDNEY, April 6

Medical history—for*' Sydney, at least— was made at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital recently, when a most difficult operation on the brain, known technically as ventriculography, was performed for the first time. The operation may briefly be described as removing a quantity of fluid from the ventricles or cavities of the brain and filling the space with air, so that the presence of any growth or foreign matter .in the brain may be "located by Xrray. In the ordinary run of events, the effects on the patient are not serious. The air becomes absorbed in due course and fresh fluid is secreted. Inside the brain are sevoral cavities, called ventricles. These are filled I with a clear fluid, which does not thrown any shadow by X-ray. Air does throw a shadow. The purpose of the operation is to replace a portion of the fluid with air and take X-ray photographs, which would then disclose,any growth. A young man of 25 had been taken to the hospital showing signs of a tumor on the br-ain. The case had some puzzling aspects for the specialists, however, and it was decided to perform the operation. A small portion of the skull over the right ear was removed and a "needle inserted through the brain to the right ventricle. "With this instrument a portion, of the.-fluid was withdrawn, and . the space cwasi filled with air. When the X-ray photographs were taken they revealed an abnormal condition which.practically confirmed the specialists' diagnosis. -

The patient appeared to be none the worse for the operation. He was bright and cheerful the following day, but a.few days later he collapsed and died suddenly from the effects of the tumor before a further operation could be performed.