Neurosurgeons at the U have a new ally in the fight against harmful strokes.
The system comprises three interconnected rooms, combining diagnoses and treatment. These configurations are found in several hospitals in the United States, but the U is the first in the world to use these rooms with stroke patients.
Neuroradiologist Steve Stevens explored this concept five years ago and is now watching his project coming to completion. Using a 9-ton magnet that moves from room to room on rails, surgeons will be able to make changes in treatment on the fly.
The first room is for angiograms and allows doctors to X-ray patients while prepping the operating room for surgery. The middle room houses the MRI magnet and the third features operating room capabilities. Stevens said this Swiss Army Knife approach to care will improve outcomes.
“This lowers our response time to a stroke by 30-60 minutes, increasing the chances of a favorable outcome by 10-20 percent,” he said. “Much like football, this allows the quarterback — or surgeon in this case — to make adjustments to treatment in a quicker fashion.”
According to Stevens and Dr. Phil Taussky of radiology, there is a five-step process to determining direction of treatment. First, surgeons must discern whether or not a hemorrhage is present, then decide the risk for the rest of the brain given the existence of a clot. Next, the surgeons must intervene and pull the clot, and then image the brain to decide if enough has been done to provide a favorable outcome to the patient.
Instead of moving from room to room and building to building to provide complete treatment, surgeons are now able to walk through one door and see the patient through the entire procedure. Stevens said this also allows patients from distant locales to receive prompt treatment.
“This new setup allows us to communicate with members of the U stroke network to determine if LifeFlight is appropriate,” he said. “Stroke network members can evaluate the patient, and if a stroke is evident, patients could be given clot-busting drugs while the helicopter is in the air.”
These new rooms have vaulted the U to the top designation in stroke treatment, as a comprehensive stroke center instead of a primary stroke center.
The MRI room can also be used for brain stimulation, a treatment critical to conditions such as tremors or even anorexia. Stevens said this is a huge advantage in care, as it minimizes the need for invasive surgeries and examinations.
“We can stimulate areas of the brain to see what is causing the condition and can then operate,” he said.
Stevens said this system will spread as it is proven invaluable to patients and surgeons.
“This application will be used in an increasing number of areas as the technology becomes accepted as a superior approach to care,” he said.