Podcast: Using MRI in the Operating Room

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_crop","fid":"11555","attributes":{"alt":"Kalkanis ","class":"media-image media-image-left","id":"media_crop_9093605711970","media_crop_h":"0","media_crop_image_style":"-1","media_crop_instance":"215","media_crop_rotate":"0","media_crop_scale_h":"0","media_crop_scale_w":"0","media_crop_w":"0","media_crop_x":"0","media_crop_y":"0","style":"margin: 0px; float: left;","title":"","typeof":"foaf:Image"}}]]In the world of brain surgery, millimeters matter. Yet when an incision is made, the brain and fluid shifts, rendering pre-operative images less accurate for mapping the brain, said Steven Kalkanis, MD, co-director of the Hermelin Brain Tumor Center and director of neurosurgical oncology at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital.

The solution? An MRI system in the operating suite that allows for mid-surgery scans for image-guided surgery. Henry Ford recently implemented an interoperative MRI suite that can provide more a precise, real-time picture of the brain.

“Being able to take these images as we are removing the tumor allows us to map and navigate and protect tissue that needs to be protected and remove malignant brain tissue,” Kalkanis said.

The technology has transformed the team’s approach to brain surgery. In this podcast, Kalkanis discusses the implications of this “game changer” technology and how they managed the implementation.

 
Dual-room suites for MR and surgery. Image courtesy Phillips