Using Sound Waves For Outpatient Neurosurgery

eldavojohn writes "Got a piece of malfunctioning brain tissue in your head? Want to avoid messy lobotomies and skull saws? Well, you're in luck; a study shows that acoustic waves can do the trick and will hopefully treat patients with disorders like Parkinson's disease. A specialist said, 'The groundbreaking finding here is that you can make lesions deep in the brain — through the intact skull and skin — with extreme precision and accuracy and safety.' They focus beams on the part of the brain needing treatment and it absorbs the energy, which turns to heat. The temperature hits about 130 F, and they can burn 10 cubic millimeters at a time. Using an MRI to see areas of heat, they can watch the whole time and target only what needs to be burned. The study consisted of nine subjects suffering from chronic pain that did not subside with medication (normally they need to go in and destroy a small part of the thalamus on these patients). After the outpatient procedure, all nine reported immediate pain relief and none experienced neurological problems or other side effects after surgery."

How would you like your brain, sir?

[Muad'Dave]

130 F is right between rare and medium rare. I wonder what well done feels like.

Re:Very cool, but...

[K. S. Kyosuke]

I concur. Chances are that this new kind of acoustic brain surgery will sooner be cheaper than a ticket to a Metallica concert.

Mama always told me...

[ralfg33k]

that I needed to keep the volume down on my headphones and not blast that garbage into my head. I guess one day they'll look around in my skull and find tissue cooked into a rude shape.

I went in for this treatment

[2names]

and now my ice cream thinks trees are precisely why shoe laces bark the 1812 overture spatula rice mommy.

Re:Killing the appetite???

[Vandilizer]

Maybe, but unfortunately most morbidly obese people cannot fit into or be supported by the MRI machines that hospitals have. It is quite the reality check when these people have to be sent to the Zoo to make use of the same equipment they use for large animals.

Re:I can see...

[Bitch-Face Jones]

don't worry, the tinfoil should block the acoustic waves

Re:Very cool, but...

[Abreu]

I concur. Chances are that this new kind of acoustic brain surgery will sooner be cheaper than a ticket to a Metallica concert.

Which is appropiate, since both have the potential to damage your brain

Re:I went in for this treatment

[igloonaut]

and now my ice cream thinks trees are precisely why shoe laces bark the 1812 overture spatula rice mommy.

Now you'll be able to write "The Family Guy" episodes with the best of them.

Re:130 Fahrenheit...

[Anonymous Coward]

It's not our fault that you have no respect for history! Why, every American learns the maximum temperature in Farenheit's lab by heart. Even the ones who can't spell know what 100 degrees are!

See, we have a secret plan to memorize all trivia by using weird units.

Re:ow, my aching hot spot...

[NotQuiteReal]

how they control the heat disippation

Pierce the skin with a fork a few times before you apply the heat.

Already in use

[DoofusOfDeath]

I'm pretty sure this technique is already in daily use. From what I can tell, it involves rap, subwoofers, and the patient driving by my house at 11:30 p.m.

Re:I can see...

[jandoedel]

no it DOESN'T! what you need is some earplugs, that 'll keep those acoustic waves out of your head.

I bet

[t_ban]

they're using Britney Spears waves to create the lesions.
Also, we now know what makes the RIAA people brain dead.