First-in-the-world Cancer Surgical Suite Coming to UMN

Once completed by the end of next year, the University of Minnesota will have a revolutionary new cancer surgical suite.

Named T-suite, for its shape, the suite will revolutionize the way brain cancers are treated by allowing surgeons to see what is happening in a patients brain during surgery.

“It will be the most advanced surgical suite in the world,” Dr. Chuck Dietz, Chair of the Department of Radiology, told Kare 11 in an interview.

The three operating rooms will have access to a ceiling mounted MRI machine that can be brought into each operating room. This allows patients to stay on the operating table, rather than being wheeled to a different room with a floor mounted MRI.

“It's like the VIP box in the football stadium. People from all over the world, scientists and surgeons cold come and see how we do it here,” said Dr. Clark Chen, Chair of the UMN Medical School's Department of Neurosurgery, in an interview with Kare 11.

The new suite is being built as part of the University of Minnesota Medical Center's $111 million renovation project.