Everything is for the Patient

Takamasa Kayama
Professor
Major of Environmental Life Science
Graduate School of Medical Science

Protect the Brain with Diagnosis and Treatment Using the World's Most Advanced Technologies

The brain is the distinguishing source of humanity; curing disease and protecting the brain are more important than anything else. Awake surgery is the prime protection for everything. In awake surgery, the patient temporarily comes out from under anesthesia, the brain functions are checked, and the lesion is excised while the brain is protected. We have helped to pioneer awake surgery in Japan and have performed treatment with outstanding techniques for brain tumors, cerebral aneurysms and other challenges. Our diagnosis and operating environment uses the most advanced equipment required for neurosurgical operations such as the intraoperative high fi eld MRI system, which is found at few hospitals in Japan, the PET system that enables observing brain metabolism and circulation, and MEG (magnetoencephalogram), with which brain functions can be viewed.

▲Educating students with Professor's rounds

Curing Diseases Without Surgery

Diseases can also be cured without surgery. Working to conquer malignant cerebral tumors, a disease that is one of the hardest to treat, we have studies with new drugs designed to target cancer stem cells and neurogenesis for revitalizing functions after strokes. Working to eliminate strokes, which are a Japanese national disease and have an especially high rate in the Tohoku Region, the northeastern area of Japan, a stroke registration project has been established in Yamagata prefecture to study epidemiology. The project is at the maximum level as a community based study in Japan.