Sept. 29, 1999
Neurosurgeons at Primary Children's Hospital have successfully removed a brain tumor from a two and a half year old girl using a virtual reality hologram.
In fact, prior to the surgery, the physician "virtually" walked inside the young girl's brain.
Science Specialist Ed Yeates reports.
This is a photograph of 2 1/2 year old Natalie Wright before surgery.
And this is Natalie now, a bit sleepy and tired in the arms of her mother Dana, but on the road to complete recovery.
Neurosurgeon James Walker removed most of a benign walnut sized tumor from above Natalie's brain stem using this unique 3-dimensional hologram as a virtual reality map of her brain.
John Wright / Natalie's Father: "IT GAVE HIM A SENSE OF WHERE HE WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO TO GET THE TUMOR OUT AND HE NEVER HAD THAT SENSE BEFORE."
"SHE'S HERE AND SHE'S GOT ALL OF HER FACULTIES. SHE'S DOING GREAT."
Punching in and out of the 3-dimensional holographic image during surgery gave Natalie's neurosurgeon a constant reference point.
James Walker, M.D. / Neurosurgeon, Primary Children's Hospital: "I THINK IT MINIMIZED THE RISK BECAUSE THE CONCEPT OF THE RELATIONSHIP TO SURROUNDING VITAL STRUCTURES IS I THINK VERY MUCH CEMENTED IN YOUR MIND - THIS 3-DIMENSIONAL APPROACH. "
And it wasn't only during the surgery. Dr. Walker experienced a breathtaking view
before he operated on Natalie.
ED YEATES, SCIENCE SPECIALIST: "YOU CAN'T SEE IT INSIDE THE CAMERA. BUT ON THIS LARGE SCREEN AT THE UNIVERSITY'S VISUAL SUPERCOMPUTING CENTER, DR. JAMES WALKER PUT ON THESE GLASSES AND IN THE REALM OF VIRTUAL REALITY, HE WAS ABLE TO WALK INSIDE NATALIE'S BRAIN."
Dr. Walker: "I COULD STICK MY HEAD UP INSIDE HER BRAIN ESSENTIALLY TO LOOK AT THINGS... IT WAS LIKE SEEING THE FUTURE."
Down the road, Dr. Walker expect holograms and computers will allow even more fantastic voyages - virtual reality trips where surgeons can almost touch vessels and the fingers of tumors and anoyrisms. Ed Yeates, Eyewitness News, Salt Lake City.
The holograms were converted from MRI scans of Natalie's brain and produced by a Utah based holography company called Voxel.
