Laser ablation

Visualase™ MRI-guided laser ablation

<p>Visualase™ is a minimally-invasive surgical option to ablate epileptic foci, brain tumors, and radiation necrosis.</p>

Ordering information
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How the Visualase™ ablation system works

The Visualase™ system delivers laser energy through a small catheter into unwanted soft tissue targets in the brain. When laser energy is absorbed by the target tissue, temperature rises and, over time, creates an irreversibly damaged thermal lesion.

A workflow that works with your hospital

The Visualase™ system supports a workflow that addresses the unique challenges of performing a procedure within the MRI bore.

The Visualase™ system is a minimally-invasive solution for the ablation of soft tissue, brain tumors, and epileptic foci in neurosurgery.
Visualase™ MRI-guided laser ablation system lets you monitor tissue ablation in real-time.

Plan: The surgeon plans the approach using stereotactic planning software, and takes into account ablation coverage and catheter placement trajectory.

Laser placement: A small, flexible laser catheter is inserted in the target area. Visualase™ is compatible with many common stereotactic platforms so the surgeon and staff can stick to a workflow that is most familiar to them.

Transport to MRI: The patient is transported to the MRI in radiology, or an intraoperative MRI is brought to the patient.

MRI-guided laser ablation: A pre-ablation scan is obtained. The surgeon then selects the preferred thermal imaging planes, identifies temperature check points, and starts the ablation. As tissue heats up, the system displays the thermal damage progress.

Close: The laser applicator is removed and the small incision is typically closed with just one suture required.1,2 The patient is then moved to recovery and in many cases goes home the next day.3–8

Is a Visualase™ procedure right for your patient?

Our team is here to support you with the information you need to make the most informed decisions for your patient’s care. Medtronic U.S. clinician services can be contacted at 800‑328‑0810.

Ordering information

Visualase™ system kits

Item number Description
VTTS-15

Visualase™ 15 W thermal therapy system includes:

  • Visualase™ MRI head phantom (9735656)
  • Visualase™ MRI test bottle (9735657)
  • 4 Visualase™ infrared goggles (9735555)
  • Visualase™ 15 W system (9735542)
  • Visualase™ cooled laser applicator system (VCLAS) — 10 mm (9735560)
  • Neuro accessory kit (9735571)
Item number Description
VERTEK-CRT-KIT Vertek™ biopsy kit with reducing tubes includes:
Item number Description
9733936

Vertek™ biopsy kit includes:

  • Double star adapter - Mayfield mount (960-535)
  • Vertek™ II articulating arm (9734252)
  • Biopsy guide (960-539)
  • 2.2 mm reducing tube (9733214)
  • Vertek™ probe (9733158)
  • Vertek™ biopsy tray (9733770)
  • 2.6 mm reducing tube (9733215)
  • 1.9 mm reducing tube (9733213)
9735998

Cranial reducing tube set includes:

  • 1.7 mm cranial reducing tube (9735732)
  • 3.2 mm cranial reducing tube (9735733)
  • 4.0 mm cranial reducing tube (9735734)

Visualase™ neuro kits

Item number Description
NeuroKit-400-T3 Neuro kit — 3 mm tip includes:
Item number Description
9735559

Visualase™ cooled laser applicator system (VCLAS) — 3 mm tip includes:

  • Laser diffusing fiber with 3 mm tip
  • 1.65 mm cooling catheter
  • Pump tubing set
  • Drainage bag

9735571

Neuro accessory kit includes:

  • Titanium bone anchor with alignment rod (9735567)
  • Plastic bone anchor with alignment rod (9735562)
  • Stiffening stylet (9735565)
NeuroKit-400-T10 Neuro kit — 10 mm tip includes:
Item number Description
9735560

Visualase™ cooled laser applicator system (VCLAS) — 10 mm tip includes:

  • Laser diffusing fiber with 10 mm tip
  • 1.65 mm cooling catheter
  • Pump tubing set
  • Drainage bag
9735571

Neuro accessory kit includes:

  • Titanium bone anchor with alignment rod (9735567)
  • Plastic bone anchor with alignment rod (9735562)
  • Stiffening stylet (9735565)
NeuroKit-600-T15 Neuro kit — 15 mm tip includes:
Item number Description
9735561

Visualase™ cooled laser applicator system (VCLAS) — 15 mm tip includes:

  • Laser diffusing fiber with 15 mm tip
  • 1.85 mm cooling catheter
  • Pump tubing set
  • Drainage bag
9735566 Visualization stylet

 

Related links

  1. Jethwa PR, Lee JH, Assina R, Keller IA, Danish SF. Treatment of a supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor using magnetic resonance-guided laser-induced thermal therapy. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2011;8(5):468–475. doi:10.3171/2011.8.PEDS11148.
  2. Torres-Reveron J, Tomasiewicz HC, Shetty A, Amankulor NM, Chiang VL. Stereotactic laser induced thermotherapy (LITT): a novel treatment for brain lesions regrowing after radiosurgery. J Neurooncol. 2013;113(3):495–503. doi:10.1007/s11060-013-1142-2.
  3. Jethwa PR, Barrese JC, Gowda A, Shetty A, Danish SF. Magnetic resonance thermometry-guided laser-induced thermal therapy for intracranial neoplasms: initial experience. Neurosurgery. 2012;71(1 suppl operative):133–145. doi:10.1227/NEU.0b013e31826101d4.
  4. Kang JY, Wu C, Tracy J, et al. Laser interstitial thermal therapy for medically intractable mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2016;57(2):325–334. doi:10.1111/ epi.13284.
  5. Lewis EC, Weil AG, Duchowny M, Bhatia S, Ragheb J, Miller I. MR-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy for pediatric drug-resistant lesional epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2015;56(10):1590–1598. doi:10.1111/epi.13106.
  6. Patel P, Patel NV, Danish SF. Intracranial MR-guided laser-induced thermal therapy: single-center experience with the Visualase thermal therapy system. J Neurosurg. 2016;125(4):853–860. doi:10.3171/2015.7.JNS15244.
  7. Wilfong AA, Curry DJ. Hypothalamic hamartomas: optimal approach to clinical evaluation and diagnosis. Epilepsia. 2013;54(suppl 9):109–114. doi:10.1111/epi.12454.
  8. Willie JT, Laxpati NG, Drane DL, et al. Real-time magnetic resonance-guided stereotactic laser amygdalohippocampotomy for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Neurosurgery. 2014;74(6):569–585. doi:10.1227/NEU.0000000000000343.