A rescue terrier mix named Geddy has made history after becoming the first dog to undergo groundbreaking neurosurgery that utilized cutting-edge augmented reality technology and infrared imaging.
Geddy may be small, but she certainly is mighty. At 8 years old, she began experiencing seizures in August 2024 and was referred to Penn Vet for further evaluation.
Geddy was seen by Tessa Arendt, specialty intern in neurology and Dr. Wojciech Panek, assistant professor of neurology and neurosurgery in the Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine. They recommended MRI imaging of the pup’s brain, which revealed a frontal lobe lesion.
Panek, a veterinary neurosurgeon, told Newsweek that the characteristics suggested that it was potentially “an aggressive brain tumor,” known as glioma. But they couldn’t know for certain without doing a biopsy or resection to test it.
“The important thing in Geddy’s case is that, based on MRI imaging features, we suspected diffuse lesion without clear margins or clear difference between the tumor and a healthy brain parenchyma,” Panek said. “These types of lesions are notoriously difficult to excise, and sophisticated tools are necessary to perform best possible, and complete resection.”
Her owners elected for the surgery, and Geddy returned to Ryan Veterinary Hospital in September. She didn’t know it then, but she was about to make history.
The Penn Vet team believe she’s the first canine patient to undergo successful brain surgery using cutting-edge augmented reality technology called VisAR and Novarad. This was combined with infrared real-time guided resection and intraoperative ultrasound.
“Her case required a highly specialized team, including a veterinary neurosurgeon, radiologist, anesthesiologist, pathologist, nurses, and operating room technicians,” Panek said.
The veterinary team utilized a three-part approach where Geddy received an injection of a special dye the day before her surgery. The dye glows under infrared light and accumulates in cancer cells, helping the surgeons to identify the tumor.
The following day, she was placed under general anesthetic for a modified trans-frontal craniotomy to gain access to her brain. The neurosurgeons employed an augmented reality neuro-navigational system that gave them optimal access to the glioma.
Panek explained that the technology created a hologram from Geddy’s MRI imaging, allowing them to plan the procedure thoroughly. They superimposed the MRI images onto Geddy’s skull, thus allowing them to biopsy and debulk the tumor.
The VisAR technology was developed by Novarad Corporation, founded by its CEO, Dr. Wendell Gibby. His role was to invent, fund, and develop the immersive augmented reality system that would be used during Geddy’s procedure.
In the past, Novarad’s technology has been pivotal across a range of health care facilities to help humans. But for the first time in September, it was used on a canine patient instead.
“Pictures are really worth a thousand words,” Gibby told Newsweek. “We’ve been helping Penn Vet Hospital with a research trial. I believe it will be a disruptive technology that fundamentally will change the surgical world for humans and animals.”
The surgery took approximately five hours and Panek said it went well with “no complications.”
Geddy had an MRI scan three months after the historic procedure, and there were no radiological signs of tumor regrowth.
“The genetic testing performed on the resected sample ruled out glioma, which was the great news for us and the owners as these types of tumors are quite aggressive,” Panek told Newsweek. “Further testing will be performed to identify the exact origin of the mass. Meanwhile, Geddy will be monitored with periodic MRI imaging to check for any potential regrowth.”
They are very optimistic for Geddy, who is recovering incredibly well. She went home with her owners just a couple of days after the surgery.
Panek says her case highlights the importance of being able to biopsy and perform a tumor resection before reaching a diagnosis. Had they not been able to employ such sophisticated technology, they might have diagnosed Geddy with a glioma and her treatment would have looked very different.
“An MRI is a very sensitive imaging tool, but it does not always provide us with a definitive diagnosis. If biopsy or tumor resection were not performed in Geddy’s case, she could have undergone further radiation therapy or chemotherapy, which is not benign,” he continued.
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