Hunterdon Medical Center Adds New Neurosurgical Technology
Pictured: A composite of Mark R. McLaughlin, M.D., F.A.C.S., neurosurgeon and spine surgeon on staff at Hunterdon Medical Center and Medical Director of Princeton Brain & Spine Care, with the new LEICA intraoperative microscope recently purchased by the Hunterdon Medical Center and the BrainLAB system.
Published August 17, 2010
When it comes to surgery, less is often more. New minimally invasive techniques translate to shorter hospital stays, faster recovery times, smaller incisions and less blood loss. Hunterdon Medical Center has recently invested in advanced technology for brain and spine procedures.
The LEICA intraoperative microscope is the newest addition to Hunterdon Medical Center’s operating room expansion. Basic neurosurgical and spine procedures have been performed at Hunterdon Medical Center for many years. However, more complex brain and spine disorders and minimally invasive procedures previously had been transferred out of hospital to other facilities because Hunterdon Medical Center did not have the equipment. The addition of the microscope to the operating room now enables neurosurgeons to provide these newer and more complex procedures at the hospital.
The intraoperative microscope allows Mark McLaughlin, M.D., F.A.C.S., Neurosurgeon, to perform minimally invasive diskectomies for herniated disks in the spine through a small working port the size of a quarter. Utilizing traditional surgical goals, but through a smaller incision, patients have excellent surgical results with less post operative pain.
“It’s sort of like the movie The Incredible Journey,” explains Dr. McLaughlin. “Imagine yourself shrinking down to miniature size and getting into a patient’s body to fix the problem. That’s what the surgical microscope allows us to do. The microscope gives us better visualization and illumination of the surgical area, and allows us to go through smaller passageways to get to the problem.”
Use of the microscope also allows the surgeons to perform more complex brain operations including brain tumor surgery. The increased magnification helps surgeons more clearly dissect and remove abnormal tissue while protecting the normal tissue.
The microscope can also be used for other surgical procedures, including ENT and plastic surgery. It allows surgeons to better repair tissue and sew nerves, tendons, and arteries together.
Pre-operative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) help detect a tumor or tissue abnormalities, but during surgery the targeted tissue is not as visible to the naked eye. The BrainLAB BrainSuite® system that Hunterdon Medical Center purchased can digitally integrate an MRI and pinpoint a tumor so the surgeon can identify functional areas and pathways within the brain and ensure that the tumor is completely removed. This new technology helps the surgeon to view the tumor in 3D and high definition and helps provide a higher level of accuracy, making surgery more precise and safer for the patient. The BrainSuite® system also integrates CT scans with surgical planning.
Another new operating technique combines Image-Guided Surgery (IGS) with the Vector Vision navigation system from BrainLAB. Vector Vision navigation system helps avoid damage to muscles and ligaments in total knee replacement and reduces the size of the incision by 50 percent. The patient benefits by regaining the ability to walk and bend the leg as early as the first day after the operation.
In the Fall, Hunterdon Medical Center will begin renovations and expand the surgical suite. The surgical suite will include two new operating rooms, a family waiting room and pre-operative patient area and renovation to employee locker areas and an education and training room. The new operating rooms will be equipped with the latest technology including boom-mounted flat-screen monitors, endoscopic towers, and video integration (touch-screen controls) which are all in easy reach of the operating team. The project encompasses new construction of 2,018 square feet and renovation to existing space of 3,052 square feet. The expansion of surgical services at Hunterdon Medical Center will benefit over 130,000 residents. This construction project is part of Hunterdon Healthcare’s ‘Investing in a New Generation of Care’ Capital Campaign. The Hunterdon Medical Center Foundation is seeking to raise $15 million over the next two to three years. To date, $9 million has been raised.