NEWPORT BEACH : Experimental Device Used to Spot Tumor

An experimental technology that uses a pencil-like wand and a computer screen to guide doctors through brain surgery premiered in Orange County this week.

Doctors used the “Viewing Wand” to locate tumors in the brains of two patients. “It went perfect,” said James Doty, the neurosurgeon who led the team that performed the first two operations at Hoag Hospital.

The wand helps doctors find tumors by displaying a three-dimensional cross-section of the brain on a computer screen in the operating room. “Wherever we point the pointer, it shows us where we are inside the brain,” he said.

The technology increases the accuracy and safety of the surgery so doctors “don’t have to go digging like they did,” said Pam Lemuiex, a hospital spokeswoman. She also said the computer screen displays the tumor in a different color, so doctors know if they have removed it entirely.

The “Viewing Wand” is not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration but is being used experimentally at 12 sites across the nation, Lemuiex said.