Henrico Doctors’ Hospital Launches Brain Surgery Using intraoperative MRI (iMRI) and “GPS” for the Brain

First Facility in Mid-Atlantic - Forerunner of What’s Next in Medicine 

Richmond, VA, April 26, 2010 – A radical new way of “seeing” tumors deep inside the brain during complex surgery has changed the way neurosurgeons at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital perform brain surgery. It also gives patients longer life spans, better quality of life and, for some, a cure. Henrico Doctors’ is the first hospital in Mid-Atlantic and only one of 20 hospitals in the United States to use the BrainSUITE® and an IMRIS iMRI (intraoperative MRI).

“I have never been able to attack brain tumors like this until now,” said Peter Alexander, M.D., neurosurgeon at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital. ‘We can remove more and even the entire tumor while minimizing the impact to the patient’s speech, vision and movement.”

Much like the global positioning system (GPS) for drivers, the BrainSUITE is a 3D GPS for neurosurgeons. It guides the surgeons to the tumor during surgery and enables them to veer away from important functional areas of the patient’s brain. The iMRI enables the neurosurgeons to view the brain via MRI scans while the patient’s head is open on the operating table to pinpoint the remaining tumor’s exact location and continue the surgery to remove more of the tumor. Considering the brain can shift up to two centimeters during surgery, the iMRI helps surgeons to adjust mid-surgery to shifts that occur, enabling them to be more aggressive in removing the tumor while saving valuable brain tissue that affects functions such as movement, speech, memory and emotion. 

Until now, neurosurgeons performing brain surgery would only have available MRI scans taken before surgery and after surgery. With real-time information, neurosurgeons can more precisely perform procedures, such as navigating the brain to locate and completely treat or remove the tumor.  This level of precision can help reduce recovery time and the need for additional operations. The patient also benefits from a less invasive surgical procedure and reduced trauma, which leads to faster recovery times and shorter hospital stays.
 
“This new surgical technology is the cutting edge of medicine,” said Alexander. “It is being studied for future diagnosis and treatment of cancer and tumors in other parts of the body.”

Furthermore, this is being done in Richmond. “Henrico Doctors’ is fast becoming a premier facility in Mid-Atlantic region for brain surgery and neurosciences,” said Chief Executive Officer Pat Farrell. “This continues our hospital’s tradition of surgical innovation, which goes hand in hand with our commitment to putting the health of our patients and the Richmond community first.” 

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About Henrico Doctors’ Hospital:  Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, with campuses at 1602 Skipwith Road (Forest Campus), 7700 E. Parham Road (Parham Campus), and 2621 Grove Avenue (Retreat Hospital), is a 767-bed acute-care hospital offering state-of-the-art medical technology in a community hospital setting. Part of the HCA Virginia Health System, Henrico Doctors’ Hospital was named one of HealthGrades “America’s 50 Best Hospitals” in 2007, 2008 , 2009 and 2010. The Cancer Center at HDH is accredited by the American College of Surgeons with ten commendations and is a 2008 CoC New Program Outstanding Achievement Award recipient. HDH is a national leader in kidney transplants and robotic surgery.  In addition, Henrico Doctors’ is the home of The Orthopaedic Hospital, a state-of-the-art facility on its Parham Campus. For more information on Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, visit us at www.henricodoctors.com.

Henrico Doctors’ Hospital Contact
Amanda Guyre
(804) 592-7804

CRT/tanaka Contact
Charlotte Evans
(804) 675-8136