NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Head and neck surgeries can be some of the most delicate in medicine — removing tumors, repairing damage from strokes, or treating thyroid disease. Every incision risks damaging critical nerves that control the ability to talk and smile. Now, new research offers a bright idea for making those surgeries safer.
Terry Francik started his first fish tank as a child.
“My tanks got bigger and bigger and I really love the fish,” he told Ivanhoe.
That passion grew to include plants, parrots, and cars.
He continued to collect these things throughout a three-decade journey with tongue cancer.
“It started hurting to where I couldn’t even eat on that side of my mouth,” Terry described.
After five surgeries, doctors have removed more than half of Terry’s tongue. During his most recent operation, surgeons tested the first in-human nerve imaging agent designed to protect vital nerves.
“I think most people don’t know that there are so many important nerves in our head and neck. The nerve that moves your tongue. The nerve that gives you your voice,” stated Sarah Rohde, MD, otolaryngologist at Vanderbilt Health.
Before surgery, doctors at Vanderbilt infused a fluorescent imaging agent called bevonescein.
“When you put the fluorescence on, you can see the tissues and you can see this kind of bright green, yellow nerve right through in the middle of the tissues,” Dr. Rohde described.
Precision is critical when mere millimeters matter.
As for Terry, this latest surgery was a success. After removing the cancer, doctors took skin from his wrist to rebuild his tongue.
“I can definitely feel it. It’s a little bit numb on that side. But overall, it feels very natural. I really don’t have any pain with it,” Terry said.
The Phase 3 trial is testing bevonescein in head and neck surgeries across the country, including thyroid and carotid procedures. Doctors hope to bring the technique to the FDA for approval in the near future.
Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Matt Goldschmidt, Videographer; Chuck Bennethum, Editor.
* For More Information, Contact: Craig Boerner
Assistant Director, Media Director, National News Director at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
and
Kylie Avery
Senior Public Relations Specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
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