Procedure allowing a neurosurgeon to directly visualize the surface of the brain prior to removal of a piece of a tumor.

A procedure in which a surgical incision (cut) is made through the skin to expose and remove tissues. The biopsy tissue is examined under a microscope by a pathologist. An open biopsy may be done in the doctor's office or in the hospital, and may use local anesthesia or general anesthesia. A lumpectomy to remove a breast tumor is a type of open biopsy.

An incision is made in order to surgically remove tissue so that it may be examined under a microscope. This type of biopsy may be performed when a patient has melanoma and a lymph node near a melanoma feels hardened or enlarged. The lymph node in question is surgically removed and examined under a microscope to see if it contains melanoma cells.