New Era of Brain Surgery Underway

Wednesday, August 04, 2004

NEW BRUNSWICK - Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital's advanced services in neurology and neurosurgery expanded recently with the acquisition of breakthrough imaging technology for patients requiring brain surgery.

RWJUH is one of just a handful of hospitals in the nation to obtain the Polestar N-20 Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (iMRI) system, the most advanced intraoperative MRI system currently available.

This technology sets a new standard of care for the treatment of brain tumors, pituitary lesions, congenital disorders and Epilepsy, promising better surgical outcomes and faster recoveries.

The uniqueness of the Polestar N-20 lies in its compactness, which enables neurosurgeons to bring it right into the operating room for real-time visualization of the brain during all stages of surgery.

In conventional brain surgery, neurosurgeons rely on MRI images taken before surgery. The limitation of this practice is that the brain's anatomy - including the precise location of tumors - can shift during the progress of surgery, making images taken prior to the procedure out of date.

The iMRI technology solves that problem by providing surgeons with a constant stream of fresh images right in the operating room.

"This technology brings the MRI room into the operating room," said Michael Nosko, MD, PhD, Chief of the Division of Neurosurgery at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. "By allowing surgeons to view images during the actual operation, this new MRI improves patient safety and surgical outcomes. It also shows the commitment of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital to improving the lives of patients by giving them access to the latest technology."

In addition to its compactness, the iMRI also provides exceptional image quality. This image quality lets clinicians plan the best approach for reaching tumors and lesions. It also enables surgeons to more clearly see tumors and lesions, as well as the margins between healthy and unhealthy tissue. With clearer visualization and real-time imaging, surgeons can confirm that a tumor has been removed, safely and entirely, while patients are still in the operating room, rather than subjecting patients to additional operations for residual tumors detected in a post-operative MRI.

"With the Polestar N20, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is setting a new standard of care in one of the most delicate areas of surgery," said Dr. Nosko. "This is a powerful tool that enables neurosurgeons to be more accurate and more thorough. The end result is better outcomes for patients."

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital's highly regarded neurosurgery program provides comprehensive treatment for a full range of neurological disorders in both adults and children.

The Clinical Neurosciences Center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is a partnership of RWJUH and UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School dedicated to research, medical and surgical treatment of neurological disorders, and offering extensive clinical programs in neurology, neurosurgery and interventional neuroradiology.

About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

Selected as one of four hospitals nationwide to offer the world's first self-contained implantable artificial heart, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.rwjuh.edu) is a 600-bed academic medical center and the principal hospital of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, NJ. Robert Wood Johnson is an innovative leader in advancing state-of-the-art care in medicine. Its Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, and women's and children's care including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org). The hospital is also a Level 1 Trauma Center and serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness.

The hospital has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is ranked among the top 50 hospitals in the nation for both heart and heart surgery and respiratory disorders, according to U.S.News & World Report's 2008 ranking of "America's Best Hospitals." The American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer has rated Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital among the nation's best comprehensive cancer centers. The Leapfrog Group rated Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital as one of the 50 exceptional U.S. hospitals, as published in Consumers Digest magazine. Harvard University researchers, in a study commissioned by The Commonwealth Fund, identified Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital as one of the top 10 hospitals in the nation for clinical quality. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is also a recipient of the prestigious Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence for more than 10 consecutive years.

Attention members of the media: For more information on this release, please contact the Department of Public Relations (732) 937-8521.


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