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iCT Smart OR 2

 

 

Trauma and neurosurgery patients at Sacred Heart Hospital can benefit from some of the most advanced surgical technologies available anywhere in the world – right here in Eau Claire. Sacred Heart Hospital is the first in Wisconsin and the first hospital ever of its sizeto have both a BrainSUITE intra-operative CT (iCT) smart operating suite and a BrainSUITE® with IMRIS intra-operative MRI (iMRI) suite for neurosurgery, spine and trauma patients.

 

Sacred Heart Hospital is one of only a handful of hospitals in the U.S. to offer BrainSUITE® and IMRIS iMRI technology. Sacred Heart Hospital is also the first hospital in the country to offer BrainSUITE and IMRIS iMRI and iCT technology for both surgery and diagnostics.

 

The iCT Smart Operating Suite includes a movable CT scanner that uses a floor-mounted track to move the CT to the patient rather than the patient being moved to the scanner. This keeps the patient still and lessens the risk of complications that can arise when moving patients who are in critical condition.

 

The iCT smart operating suite ensures that spinal implants are ideally positioned during complex spinal surgery. The iCT suite can also be used for trauma surgery. This minimally-invasive technology is fully integrated with the BrainLAB® surgical mapping system.

 

More and more spinal surgeries are being performed with the aid of implants. If implants and screws are not precisely placed, they have the potential to injure important structures, and sometimes these injuries can be devastating.

 

The iCT enables surgeons to take rapid and real-time imaging during surgery. This has a particular utility in spine surgery, and allows surgeons know precisely what location they are operating on within the spine – to the exact millimeter –  at any given moment.

 

The standard method used for determining whether a spinal surgery is successful is for the patient to undergo a CT (computed tomography) scan before and after surgery.

 

With the new iCT Smart Operating Suite, Sacred Heart Hospital surgeons have access to real-time images of their progress during complex spinal surgeries – enabling them to confirm with the utmost confidence that each implant is placed perfectly in the spine while the patient is still in on the operating table – essentially reducing the re-operation rate to zero.

 

What does iCT treat?
The iCT can be used for spinal surgeries and spinal implant placement. In addition, the system can be applied to:

  • Ear, nose and throat procedures
  • Orthopedic procedures
  • Biopsy procedures
  • Blood clot removal in stroke and head trauma cases
  • Pituitary and skull-base tumor removal

How does the iCT make surgery more effective?
The standard method used for determining whether spinal implants are precisely deployed is for the patient to undergo a CT (computed tomography) scan after surgery. 

 

With the new iCT Smart Operating Suite, Sacred Heart Hospital surgeons will access real-time images of their progress during complex spinal surgeries – enabling them to confirm with the utmost confidencethat each implant is placed perfectly in the spine while the patient is still in on the operating table – essentially reducing the re-operation rate to zero.

 

This minimally-invasive surgical system will give surgeons an accurate, small “key hole size” corridor of access by which to operate using a much smaller incision than with traditional “open” surgery.

 

What is the difference between CT and iCT? 

The “i” in iCT stands fro intra-operative, and means that the CT scanner is located within the operating room and used for imaging before, during and after surgery.

 

Is iCT safe? 
Yes, the iCT is a safe and reliable surgical system and is as safe as a regular CT scan.

 

How does iCT benefit the patient? 
iCT means improved patient care. Surgeons can get direct feedback on the progress of their surgery while the patient is still on the operating table. This enables the surgeon to carefully approach critical areas and to confirm – with incredible accuracy – that each implant is placed perfectly in the spine, thereby dramatically reducing the need for follow-up surgery.

 

The patient also benefits due to:

  • A less invasive and more effective surgical procedure
  • Reduced trauma and smaller surgical incisions, which leads to faster recovery times and shorter hospital stays
  • Reduced risk of complications, especially the need for additional surgery