New Operating Room at RMC Allows Surgeons to See Beyond 3D

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RED BANK – Riverview Medical Center (RMC) recently announced the opening of its new Brainsuite® iCT, a digitally integrated operating room solution that combines image guided surgery technology, multi-slice intra-operative computed tomography (iCT), and comprehensive OR data management. The new Brain­suite iCT Opera­ting Room at Riverview is the first in the greater New York City area and one of only 10 sites throughout the country.
Nearly 8,500 surgeries are performed annually at River­view Medical Center, part of Meridian Health, from basic surgical procedures done on an outpatient basis to the most complex advanced neurological cases and other surgeries that require an inpatient stay.
Brainsuite iCT integrates a multi-slice intra-operative CT scanner into the surgical procedure, so surgeons have more precise and up-to-date anatomical information during surgery for making more informed and timely decisions. With this technology, surgeons can rely on intra-operative information to better ensure that they have achieved the objective of the procedure, rather than wait for post-operative images to verify results. Intra-operative imaging also offers patients the benefit of a less-invasive surgical procedure, reduced trauma, faster recovery times and shorter hospital stays.
“Technology of this magnitude plays a significant role in our surgical capabilities and the new operating suite affords Riverview Medical Center an increased opportunity to provide our patients and families with the very latest in surgical innovation,” states Timothy J. Hogan, FACHE, regional president of Riverview Medical Center and Bayshore Com­munity Hospi­tal. “With this advanced technology combination, River­view has another opportunity to expand our surgical expertise and capacity to enhance high-end acute surgical services for the communities we serve.”
Additional benefits of this advanced technology include the elimination of physically moving a patient away from the operating suite during procedures and increased patient safety. Brainsuite iCT can be used for a wide range of clinical applications, including cranial, spinal, ear/nose/throat (ENT), head and neck, and areas of the face.
“Traditionally, we have relied on post-operative imaging to verify surgical resection, tumor removal and spinal screw placement,” explains Bruce Rosenblum, M.D., a board certified neurosurgeon affiliated with River­view Medi­cal Center and Bayshore Community Hospi­tal. “Now that we have intra-operative information, we are better equipped to determine that an optimum surgical outcome has been achieved prior to the patient leaving the operating room.”
Marguerite Donovan, 51, of Middletown, has never imagined that one day this technology would change her life. In the 1980s, Marguerite was in several car accidents that impacted her spine. Dr. Rosenblum performed a cervical disectomy to relieve Marguerite of the pain caused by the accidents. Then in 1996, Marguerite was in a horrific accident that left her once again with severe spinal damage. Dr. Rosenblum im­plant­ed a dorsal column stimulator, which was revolutionary.
“Dr. Rosenblum is a special person to me, not only as my surgeon, but as a calming force during what was a terrible time in my life,” says Marguerite.
All was normal until 2011, when Marguerite began experiencing numbness in her back, arms, and legs and starting showing signs of what she believed to be multiple sclerosis. After visiting Dr. Rosen­blum once again, he confirmed after testing that Marguerite’s spine was actually degenerating and was cutting off several of the nerve signals to her arms and legs.
In the fall of 2012, Dr. Rosenblum performed a lame­nectomy on Marguerite’s lower spine and in December 2012 performed a two-level spinal fusion on her neck in conjunction with Keith Rinkus, M.D., board certified orthopedic spinal surgeon also affiliated with Riverview Med­i­cal Center. “It literally felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders,” says Marguerite. Dr. Rosenblum was the first surgeon at Riverview Medical Center to use the Brainsuite iCT.
“We will use Brainsuite iCT for more precise assessment of a patient’s anatomy during a procedure, and to help us better map out those critical areas of the brain or spine which we want to protect, such as in Marguerite’s case,” says Dr. Rosenblum. “This advanced technology will further minimize the chances of injuring healthy tissue or leaving behind portions of a tumor unable to be visualized using standard technology.”
 
For more information on the Brainsuite iCT Operating Room at Riverview Medical Center visit www.Riverview MedicalCenter.com.