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A Look at the Newest Technological Procedures and Advances at Saint Barnabas Medical Center Superior Technology, Brilliant Medicine. Imagine state-of-the-art technology available to diagnose and treat patients with an array of medical problems. At Saint Barnabas Medical Center, our technological advances help physicians to care for patients with even greater speed and accuracy. New procedures allow for improved comfort and shortened recovery periods for many conditions. At Saint Barnabas Medical Center, the technology of tomorrow is helping our patients today. Revolutionary New Surgery for Vertebral Fractures Saint Barnabas Medical Center is one of only 20 sites in the nation and the only institution in New Jersey to participate in a revolutionary study of a minimally invasive technique for treating vertebral compression fractures (VCF) due to osteoporosis. As the investigators for a clinical outcome study for Kyphon Inc., an orthopedic medical device company, orthopedic surgeons Casey Lee, M.D., and Kenneth Kopacz, M.D., perform Kyphoplasty™, a new type of spinal surgery. The procedure uses a small, inflated balloon to elevate the collapsed verebral bone and realign the spinal column. The procedure involves a surgeon making an incision in the skin, then drilling a path down and into the fractured vertebral body. While the physician monitors the situation by X-ray, a small balloon is inserted through the hole and into the fractured vertebra. As it inflates inside the bone, the balloon elevates and expands the collapsed vertebra back toward its normal position. Once the balloon is removed, the remaining cavity left behind is filled with bone cement to create an "internal cast." This cast fixes the fracture and prevents further collapse of the treated vertebral body. As compared to conventional surgical treatment, Kyphoplasty™ is a minimally invasive procedure with a short operative and outpatient time and use of local or general anesthesia. It is reported to provide immediate pain relief and a shortened time to resume daily activities, while stabilizing the vertebral fracture and restoring vertebrate body height. For more information about Kyphoplasty™, please contact Drs. Lee and Kopacz at (973) 226-2725.
The latest Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner is now available at Saint Barnabas Medical Center. With technological capabilities that revolutionize diagnostic care, the new MRI provides a level of expertise traditionally only available at major university settings. Saint Barnabas is one of only two facilities in New Jersey to acquire the Philips Intera MRI Scanner. The MRI boasts numerous advantages that make it physicians' first choice in diagnostic testing. While open MRIs are helpful for claustrophobic or larger patients, the Saint Barnabas MRI's new "short-bore" structure provides the same patient comfort without compromising the quality of the images. Combined with a scanning time that is 30 to 50 percent faster than traditional methods, the MRI provides physicians with the clearest images possible in addition to reduced anxiety for patients. Special moving table hardware and software enable the scanner to acquire rapid, sequential images from head to toe. For example, a whole body and/or spine scan to search for metastatic, or recurring, disease can be performed in less than five minutes. While conventional MRI or CT scans may not detect a stroke for 8 to 12 hours, advanced neuroimaging techniques on the new scanner can detect a stroke within minutes of onset. Applications are far-reaching, with implications for fields ranging from cardiology, endocrinology and gastroenterology to neurology, neurosurgery, oncology and orthopedics. For example, biliary diseases can be evaluated with the scanner, eliminating the need to place an endoscope in the stomach. And numerous diagnostic procedures are available for cardiac patients that replace conventional angiograms that are usually associated with a brief hospital stay, a catheter, andsome sedation. For further information on inpatient MRI services, please call
New data reveals that with genetic testing prior to implantation, the rate of miscarriage is significantly reduced, from 23 percent to 9 percent, and pregnancy rates in infertile couples increased, according to the latest research from the Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Science at Saint Barnabas Medical Center. The procedure, termed Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD), also decreases the chances for chromosomal abnormalities, such as Downs Syndrome. In women who experienced repeated miscarriages, the rate went from 100 percent to only 5 percent. PGD, performed routinely at only a few centers in the world, involves removing a single cell from a three-day-old embryo and testing it for chromosomal disorders. Abnormal embryos can then be discarded, leaving only the healthy ones for transfer. The obvious advantage of PGD, states Jacques Cohen, Ph.D., Scientific Director of Assisted Reproduction at the Institute, is the reduction in the chance of having a baby with chromosomal abnormalities, the decrease in repeated miscarriages and the increase in pregnancy rate following PGD. Santiago Munne, Ph.D., Director of Implantation and Genetics at the Saint Barnabas Institute, has been one of the leading pioneers of PGD in the world. The procedure is very intricate, Dr. Munne explains, but it does not seem to affect the normal development of the embryo nor does it cause further inconvenience to the patient. In addition to performing cases at Saint Barnabas, including patients referred from IVF centers throughout the United States, Dr. Munne has performed PGD on 200 patients in Italy over the last two years. For further information about PGD, please contact the Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Science of Saint Barnabas at (973) 322-8286. Heart Hospital Surgeons First in the Country to Perform Seven Bypasses on One patient with the Heart Still Beating Last fall, The HEART HOSPITAL cardiac surgery team performed seven Almost half the coronary artery bypass surgeries performed at The HEART HOSPITAL of New Jersey, located at Saint Barnabas Medical Center and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, are being performed with the heart still beating. Off Pump Coronary Artery Bypass (OPCAB) surgery is performed without the use of a cardiopulmonary bypass (heart-lung) machine. This procedure, also known as "beating heart surgery," is considered beneficial for some patients. It allows life saving care to be delivered without some of the risks posed by traditional open-heart surgery and reduces the incidences of stroke and memory loss. In traditional heart surgery the heart is stopped as bypass is performed. This method has been very successful, but there are neurological and cerebrovascular consequences to the patient being on a heart-lung machine, including the use of more blood products and edema of the heart muscle and lungs. Beating-heart surgery is appropriate for younger, healthier patients because of shorter recovery time, reduced risk, and less trauma. For older patients it is appropriate because there are more possible complications that would contraindicate conventional bypass. Other positive outcomes of beating-heart surgery include: an increased alertness after surgery and an overall cost savings due to the fact that less post-operative care is needed. Under Dr. Saunder's leadership, the cardiac surgery team brings cutting edge technology and a wealth of expertise to patients. For more information, please call 1-(888) 8-HEART-1. Saint Barnabas Medical Center First in Country to Use Customized Patient Education System on Internet The Saint Barnabas Health Care System has launched a new, customized patient education system -- the first of its kind in the country -- at Saint Barnabas Medical Center, to create greater access to medical information that is tailored specifically for each patient. The new, interactive, computer-based program, created by InLight, Inc., helps cardiac patients at The Heart Hospital of New Jersey at Saint Barnabas access a customized medical information page in the hospital, or via the Saint Barnabas Web site, in their own homes. Gary J. Rogal, M.D., Chief of Cardiac Services for the Saint Barnabas Health Care System reviews the interactive, computer-based cardiac education program with patient Lawrence Bibb of Verona, N.J. PET Scanning: Brilliant Imaging of the Body's Biochemistry For years, Letty Lutzker, M.D., Chief of Nuclear Medicine at Saint Barnabas Medical Center, monitored the refinements in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanning, aware of the awesome diagnostic potential of this noninvasive nuclear scan that produces exciting digital imaging of the body's cells to reveal disease. Available for clinical use as of mid-December 2000, Saint Barnabas Health Care System will open its first Positron Imaging Center at the Saint Barnabas Ambulatory Care Center in Livingston. The Center is one of the first such facilities in New Jersey and offers the most advanced PET scanner available. PET measures the activity of cells to detect disease, showing all the organ systems of the body in one image. In contrast, CT (computerized tomography) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) display changes in the anatomy to reveal disease. "I would say that 80 percent or more of clinical use will be in testing cancer," comments Dr. Lutzker. "As a diagnostic tool for cancer, PET offers a noninvasive option to biopsy and can show the presence of disease that has spread, which other imaging techniques cannot detect. PET is effective in the evaluation of lung, breast, colorectal and gynecological cancers, lymphoma and melanoma." Patients are injected with a radioactive glucose (sugar) tracer called fluorine 18. While all cells use glucose, cancer cells are highly metabolic, using more glucose than surrounding cells. This enables them to be easily viewed on the PET scan in a rainbow of colors. Yellow and red regions indicate high cell activity, while blue or black regions demonstrate little or no activity. PET inspects the entire body to look for cancer in one scan, virtually eliminating the need for surgery to identify malignant cells. PET diagnoses disease earlier, shows the progress of the disease and how the body is responding to treatment. These advantages help guide physicians to the most beneficial therapies. PET can also distinguish between residual cancer and post-therapy scarring and determine the effectiveness of chemotherapy. In addition, PET assists in the evaluation of patients with suspected recurrence of cancer due to anatomic or biochemical test changes. For more information, please call (973) 322-7871. Exciting Non-Surgical Option for Breast Biopsies Stereotactic Breast Biopsy is the latest technological advance in breast cancer diagnosis and offers an alternative to traditional surgical biopsies. If an abnormality is detected by a mammogram or breast self-exam, it must be identified as either benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). This must occur through a biopsy, which is the removal of a sample of breast tissue for examination. Although 80 percent of biopsies result in a benign diagnosis, if cancer is found, it is important to learn the type and stage of the disease as quickly as possible. The Stereotactic Breast Biopsy procedure is performed by an experienced radiologist. Using an Xray guided needle, which is directed with computer assistance, the radiologist obtains a small sample of the breast tissue for biopsy. This procedure is highly accurate and is the least invasive method for obtaining breast tissue samples with minimal discomfort and without surgical incision. It does not require anesthesia and takes less time to perform. Based upon each individual's findings, this procedure may be more appropriate than a traditional biopsy. For further information about this procedure, please call The Breast Center at the Saint Barnabas Ambulatory Care Center at (973) 322-7888. [ top ] |
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