What is the MRT?

MRT is the magnetic resonance therapy unit at Brigham and Women's Hospital. In essence, it is an operating room inside of an MRI scanner. The MRI scanner is a highly advanced imaging device that can create very detailed pictures of the brain and spinal cord. Through a cooperative effort of General Electric and physicians here at Harvard, we have the first unit of its type which allows MRI scanning during surgery. Hundreds of operations have been performed on adults for the resection of complex brain tumors in the MRT unit. Since detailed pictures of the brain are performed throughout the operation, it allows for exact localization and complete resection of complex tumors.

What is the role of MRT in pediatric brain tumors?

Because many tumors in children are benign, the ability to completely and safely remove a pediatric brain tumor is often essential if we hope to cure the child. We have therefore embarked on a collaboration between Children's Hospital and Brigham and Womens's Hospital. This effort includes neurosurgery, anesthesiology, radiology and nursing, and allows us to operate on children with brain tumors in the MRT unit. This effort utilizes the skill of physicians at both institutions to offer state-of -the-art technology to your child. Many tumors which could not be successfully removed or biopsied in standard operating rooms have been completely resected by our surgeons in the MRT, with an excellent safety record.

What does the experience involve for my child?

Most of the work is behind the scenes. In other words, you and your child might not notice a difference between surgery in the standard operating room and the MRT. In both cases, the children are induced under anesthesia by a pediatric anesthesiologist at Children's Hospital. A team of physicians and nurses then transports the child to Brigham and Women's Hospital (the two facilities are connected), and the surgery is performed. At the conclusion of the procedure, the child is transported back to the intensive care unit at Children's Hospital, where they are awakened from anesthesia. A concerted effort is made to keep you informed of the surgical progress. Of course, parents are are allowed to see their child once they are awake in the ICU, just as in standard surgery.

How do we get more information?

The decision to operate upon a tumor in the MRT depends on several factors, including tumor type, location, equipment required for the surgery, and degree of urgency. Most tumors can be easily removed by our surgeons in our standard high-tech operating rooms, and the MRT is reserved for the cases which benefit most from this technology. Additionally, because so much collaborative effort is required, it is often not possible to do emergency cases in the MRT. In order to determine an appropriate treatment alternative, please seek consultation with one of our pediatric neurosurgeons.

If you have any questions, please contact us for more information.