On July 17, Jack Campanile, age 16 years, a patient at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, was the first teen to undergo a specialized procedure using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound technology to destroy a tumor in his leg without piercing the skin. The lesion had caused the teen excruciating pain prior to electing to have this non-invasive procedure.
“With high-intensity focused ultrasound, we are moving from minimally invasive to non-invasive therapy, significantly reducing risk to the patient and fast-tracking recovery,” said interventional radiologist Michael Temple, MD, Associate Professor of Medical Imaging at the University of Toronto, who led the team that performed the surgery.
Michael Temple, MD
During the 30-minute procedure, the team used the MRI to pinpoint the exact location of the osteoid osteoma and to help target the ultrasound waves to burn the whole tumor. Using an MRI also afforded the team the opportunity to monitor the temperature induced by the ultrasound to ensure that there was no unexpected increase in heat in surrounding tissue.
Hours after undergoing this procedure Jack was discharged. He initially experienced a few hours of pain, and then he was totally pain-free. Overall, he recovered quickly and smoothly; there also have been no reported complications. That night he had uninterrupted sleep for the first time in months. Most of his normal activities also were resumed 2 days after surgery.
“The osteoid osteoma tumor was chosen as our pilot study because the lesion is easily accessible and while the procedure is sophisticated, it is relatively straightforward. The success of this first case is great news for Jack, and exciting for our team as we look at developing more complex incisionless treatments in the future,” said Dr. Temple.