New imaging equipment can improve the outcomes of minimally invasive procedures, making them an excellent treatment option for more patients.
Any time open surgery can be avoided, patients stand to benefit from less blood loss, pain and discomfort. At Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Somerset, vascular Interventional Radiology (IR) physicians perform more than 50 different types of procedures using a minimally invasive, image-guided approach to diagnosing and treating medical conditions that once required open surgery. IR helps to reduce the length
of a patient’s hospital stay, minimize complications and save lives.
Some of the IR procedures performed at RWJUH Somerset include uterine fibroid embolization, a non-surgical Some of the IR procedures performed at RWJUH Somerset include uterine fibroid embolization, a non-surgical Now, procedures like these may have even better results thanks to new medical equipment with higher quality imaging. With the Artis zee system, which was installed in February, physicians at RWJUH Somerset are able to view the body clearly using the lowest possible dose of radiation, which brings significant treatment advantages. “The image quality achieved with this equipment helps doctors position stents with extreme accuracy,” says Pavan Khurana, MD, Chief of Interventional Radiology and Vice Chair of the Department of Radiology at RWJUH Somerset. For uterine artery embolization, the machine uses less radiation when tracing the blood vessels that lead to the uterus and enables doctors to place catheters more precisely.
Many patients will benefit from this new equipment, which can be used for a wide range of neurological, spinal and abdominal procedures. Physicians can perform port placements (the insertion of a flexible tube in a vein in the chest to deliver medications continuously) and myelography (an exam that involves using a contrast dye to pinpoint the location of a spinal cord injury or tumor). They also can administer intrathecal chemotherapy, in which medications
are delivered to the cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
Says Dr. Khurana: “I’m excited about this machine because it will help us to continue to improve patient outcomes and reduce complication rates and length of hospital stays.”
For more information about radiology services at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, visit www.rwjbh.org/somerset.