Miami, FL — May 14, 2025— MRI-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) is emerging as one of the most groundbreaking advancements in brain lesion treatment in the last 20 years, offering patients a safer, faster, and more targeted option—particularly for tumors once considered inoperable.

This state-of-the-art technique involves inserting a small laser fiber into the brain through a 5 mm incision using stereotactic navigation, which functions like a GPS for the brain. The patient remains under anesthesia while being transferred to an MRI scanner. There, the laser fiber delivers precise thermal energy to heat and destroy the tumor, guided by real-time MRI monitoring that measures tissue temperature, ensuring only the target area is affected and surrounding healthy brain tissue is preserved.

According to recent studies, MRI-guided LITT has shown tumor control rates of 70–90% in selected cases of gliomas and metastatic brain tumors. This is an excellent minimally invasive option for deep-seated lesions which are otherwise difficult to reach by traditional surgery. Most commonly, we use this technique to treat brain tumors, lesions causing seizures or epilepsy, or to facilitate other medical treatments like chemotherapy. 

“This technique is a game-changer for patients with tumors that were once deemed untreatable through surgery,” said Simon Buttrick, MD, Neurosurgeon at Memorial Neuroscience Institute part of Memorial Healthcare System in South Florida. “Patients often return home the next day with minimal discomfort and no activity restrictions.”

MRI-guided LITT is most used for:

• Primary brain tumors (gliomas)
• Metastatic tumors resistant to radiation therapy
• Lesions causing seizures
• Epilepsy

Key Benefits of MRI-guided LITT:

• Minimally invasive: Entire procedure performed through a single 5 mm incision
• Rapid recovery: Patients are typically discharged within 24–48 hours
• Precision ablation: Real-time MRI monitoring minimizes damage to surrounding tissue
• Versatility: Ideal for deep-seated gliomas, metastatic tumors, lesions causing seizures or epilepsy, and refractory to radiation

“As a minimally invasive alternative to traditional craniotomy, MRI-guided LITT represents a major leap forward in how we approach complex brain tumors,” added Christopher DeMassi, MD, Neurosurgeon and Chief of Memorial Neuroscience Institute. “It allows us to treat tumors in areas that were previously off-limits, with far fewer risks and faster recovery for our patients.”

With over 1,500 procedures performed annually in the U.S. and the number continuing to rise, MRI-guided LITT is proving to be a safe and effective alternative to traditional craniotomy, particularly for high-risk or elderly patients.

About Memorial Global Health:

Memorial Global Health provides personalized coordination of specialized and emergency medical services for adult and pediatric international patients. Memorial Healthcare System offers premier clinical expertise throughout their six hospitals including Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, exclusively dedicated to the care of children.  For more than 60 years, the physicians, nurses, specialists and healthcare professionals at Memorial have placed patients and their families at the heart of everything they do. The skilled team at Memorial offers patient-and-family-centered care by partnering with patients and their families.

About Memorial Healthcare System: 

Memorial Healthcare System is one of the largest public healthcare systems in the United States and has served South Florida since 1953. Since, the South Florida community has benefited from compassionate healthcare delivered according to the service vision of Deeper Caring, Smarter Healthcare. Memorial has six hospitals and more than 150 employed physicians, who compose the Memorial Physician Group, a nursing home, home health services, research, and primary and urgent care centers and the South Broward Community Health Services.  In 2013, Memorial Health Network led the way in putting the clinically integrated healthcare delivery model into action. By expanding on this new framework, Memorial will continue to improve the quality, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the services they proudly provide.

For more information: 

Memorial Healthcare System 

Global Health Department 

Medical coordination for international patients

+1 (954) 265-3200  

[email protected] 

#MHSGlobal 

WWW.MHS.NET/GLOBAL-HEALTH 

3501 Johnson Street Hollywood, Florida 33021 

For more information or interviews, call or email Carla Lodman

+1 (305) 933-4349 x 1 | email: [email protected]