Painless brain surgery? Jersey Shore hospital's tumor-fighting machine makes it possible

Michael L. Diamond, Asbury Park Press
Updated ·3 min read

NEPTUNE - Jersey Shore University Medical Center on Thursday unveiled a first-of-its-kind technology to treat brain tumors and other brain conditions without incisions, with patients often returning to normal activities the same day, officials said.

The $7 million project combines a gyroscopic radiosurgery system and an MRI machine to diagnose and begin treatment ideally within a day, alleviating anxiety for patients who previously had to wait for weeks, doctors said.

"The advance of this technology actually allows us to get closer to that place where we can be confident we're delivering maximum benefit and minimal risk," said Dr. Shabbar Danish, chair of neurosurgery at the Hackensack Meridian Neuroscience Institute at the hospital.

The new technology marks the latest expansion for Jersey Shore University Medical Center, a hospital owned by Edison-based Hackensack Meridian Health that has been growing fast thanks in part to the region's population growth.

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Timothy Chen, M.D., medical director of CNS radiation oncology program at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and medical director of proton therapy department of radiation oncology for Hackensack Meridian Health, speaks during the unveiling of the ZAP-X Gyroscopic Radiosurgery for treatment of brain tumors and other conditions of the head and neck at the Dr. Robert H. and Mary Ellen Harris ZAP-X Center for Noninvasive Neurosurgery at Hackensack Meridian Neuroscience Institute of Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, NJ Thursday, September 7, 2023. The ZAP-X Gyroscopic Radiosurgery is combined with Synaptive MRI to shorten the time between a patient's diagnosis and treatment.

And it's a bid by the hospital to convince New Jerseyans to stay close to home for cutting-edge treatment of brain tumors and other conditions instead of needing to go to New York, Boston or Philadelphia.

"When we looked at this particular technology, we saw a big need in this community," said Robert C. Garrett, Hackensack Meridian's chief executive officer. "There's an aging population here, and we see the prevalence of cancers and particularly brain tumors increasing in this population. So we felt that this was the right technology for the right reasons at this location."

(L-R) Shabbar Danish, M.D., chair of neurosurgery, Timothy Chen, M.D., medical director of CNS radiation oncology program and proton therapy department of radiation oncology, Kenneth N. Sable, M.D., MBA, FACEP, regional president southern market, and Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health speak during the unveiling of the ZAP-X Gyroscopic Radiosurgery for treatment of brain tumors and other conditions of the head and neck at the Dr. Robert H. and Mary Ellen Harris ZAP-X Center for Noninvasive Neurosurgery at Hackensack Meridian Neuroscience Institute of Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, NJ Thursday, September 7, 2023. The ZAP-X Gyroscopic Radiosurgery is combined with Synaptive MRI to shorten the time between a patient's diagnosis and treatment.

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In addition to brain tumors, the technology can treat other brain conditions, including trigeminal neuralgia, a disorder that causes facial pain, and arteriovenous malformations, a disorder involving blood vessels.

The gyroscopic radiosurgery device was made by San Carlos, California-based ZAP-X and developed by Dr. John Adler, who invented the CyberKnife, a robotic radiotherapy device. The brain-only silent MRI was made by Synaptive, which is based in Toronto, Canada.

The devices, funded by Mary Ellen Harris and the Golden Dome Foundation, were set up on the ground floor of Jersey Shore's HOPE Tower. They are expected to begin treating patients next month. Officials said insurance carriers cover the procedures.

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Hospital officials described the new technology as a major advancement.

For example:

  • Comfort. Patients previously treated with a Gamma Knife needed to be sedated and have pins put in to stabilize their head. Now, patients can lie down without the pins; the machine will make the adjustments.

  • Safety. The new system lowers the risk of radiation exposure tenfold.

  • Access. Unlike the Gamma Knife, the new system doesn't need to be kept in bunkers behind thick concrete walls.

"This was always a designated future expansion site, which we never thought we'd get to this quickly," said Dr. Kenneth N. Sable, regional president of the southern market for Hackensack Meridian Health.

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Jersey Shore University Medical Center unveils the ZAP-X Gyroscopic Radiosurgery for treatment of brain tumors and other conditions of the head and neck at the Dr. Robert H. and Mary Ellen Harris ZAP-X Center for Noninvasive Neurosurgery at Hackensack Meridian Neuroscience Institute of Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, NJ Thursday, September 7, 2023. The ZAP-X Gyroscopic Radiosurgery is combined with Synaptive MRI to shorten the time between a patient's diagnosis and treatment.

Jersey Shore's expansion in recent years has attracted both Danish, the chair of neurosurgery, and Dr. Timothy Chen, medical director of its CNS radiation oncology program, within the past two years.

Chen said he was drawn to the chance of working with the new device, noting that it reminded him of "Star Trek." In his field, he was getting closer to the final frontier.

"Conventional radiation, you lose your hair, your skin can get burned, " he said. Now? "You come get the treatment, go back to where you came from, no restrictions."

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Michael L. Diamond is a business reporter who has been writing about the New Jersey economy and health care industry for more than 20 years. He can be reached at mdiamond@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jersey Shore Medical Center unveils painless brain surgery machine