| The laser approach has so far been used to treat only five patients with deep-seated brain lesions, for example the benign hypothalamic hamartoma. These are located very close to the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls many critical functions, as well as the optic nerve. Using normal cranial surgery would involve passing through many delicate areas of the brain to access the lesion, and the laser approach is seen as far less risky - although further studies will be required before its efficacy can be properly established. Credit: Texas Children's Hospital. |
