Local doctors teamed up with experts from the United States for the world's first super-minimally invasive brain surgery, with precise positioning and navigation through AI-based Human Connectom Technology, said Shanghai Donglei Brain Hospital.

A brain tumor was successfully removed from a 63-year-old patient within a 40-minute operation, only making a nail-cap hole, doctors said on Tuesday.

Doctors from Shanghai Donglei Brain Hospital said they used Burr Hole technology, a self-developed technique which only makes a one-centimeter-diameter hole on the skull to carry out the brain surgery.

"Usually, a 2.5-3 centimeter diameter bone flap is the common size of the bone window in normal minimally-invasive neurosurgery. Bigger wounds are known for an increased risk of postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leakage, seizures, neurologic deficit and intracranial infection," said Dr Huo Junfeng from Shanghai Donglei Hospital and chief surgeon of the operation. He is one of the inventors of Burr Hole technology.

"Surgery with such a small hole can protect the patients' brain function to the greatest extent, impose the least influence on patients, and ensure a quicker recovery," he said. "However such an extremely small cut has higher requirements for positioning and pre-surgery planning."

Dr Michael Sughrue from Prince of Wales Private Hospital said doctors are trying to make surgery smaller and more precise, while retaining more normal functioning.

The Human Connectom Technology is an important breakthrough in neuroscience, as it can conduct a detailed and precise reconstruction of a patient's brain functional zones, and visualize those zones by projecting them on the patient's skull.

"The navigation allows us to carry out super-minimally invasive surgery, as doctors can identify and locate the tumor precisely on the skull and brain," Huo said. "The tumor and brain function are seen as a 3D projection on the scalp while we conduct the surgery."

"Before the surgery, we sent all the patient's data to Michael Sughrue's team, which used AI and special software to identity the front and rear functional zones of the tumor. After detailed discussion and planning, we decided the route and process of the surgery," Huo said.

"The whole tumor was removed, while avoiding damage to the language and mobility function, thanks to the precise positioning and navigation," he added. "The patient is recovering very well and showed positive effects soon after the surgery."

Local doctors said the surgery is a perfect combination of high-end surgical skill and technology. The advanced technology offers strong support for doctors to carry out high-end surgery while reducing post-surgery complications and patient sufferings.