The brain cancer laser knife was first used in the UK

The pioneering surgical technology uses a small laser to burn cancer cells in the brain ready for first use for patients in the UK.

Neuropsychologists say the technology is a big step in the treatment of brain tumors that are considered inoperable.

Hundreds of patients who were denied surgery for brain tumors were deep because access to them in the usual way could cause serious injury.

Harley Street private hospital in London will provide Visualase technology for brain cancer patients.

Visualase surgery is expected to cost between 10,000 and 20,000 pounds.

This technology has been available in the US for a few years but has only been licensed for use in Europe.

It can be used to treat brain tumors in children and may help remove areas of the brain damaged by radiation therapy.

First, the patient will be anesthetized so that the doctor drills a small hole into the skull, about 3mm wide.

The doctors then projected the Visualase laser into a thin tube through the tumor and heated it to about 44 ° C.

Heating will cause cancer cells to break down and die. Increasing the temperature even further creates the risk of destroying healthy surrounding tissue.

The patient was given an MRI scan, sent an image to a computer screen to allow surgeons to monitor the route the laser was operating.

Visualase is a minimally invasive surgery, meaning that the patient can go home after just one day compared to a 10-day hospital stay after normal brain surgery.

Cancer Research UK data show that more than 11,000 people are diagnosed with brain tumors each year in the UK.