WHAT IS A STEREOTACTIC BRAIN BIOPSY?
A stereotactic brain biopsy is a surgical procedure. Its purpose is to obtain a small specimen from a specific part of the brain so we can tell you what condition you have. If the concern is that you may have a growth, the biopsy is intended to determine if it is a benign or aggressive tumor, and if it started in the brain or spread there from another part of the body. This in turn determines what treatment would be appropriate for it. PREPARATION FOR THE BIOPSY You should eat nothing after midnight on the evening before the procedure. Otherwise, there is no special preparation. THE BIOPSY You come into the admitting area of the hospital early on the day of the biopsy. You will fill out some paperwork, and then be transported to either the MRI or CT scan area. An intravenous line will be started. Then a metal frame called a “Leksell head frame” or “BRW frame” is attached to you by Dr. Saris. The frame is difficult to describe. It is a metal device (see picture) that weighs about three
