Robot to do
radiosurgery at Parkview
FortWayne.com |
5/6/2006 | Michael Schroeder
Bloodless, painless surgery.
That’s the promise of an alien-like robot that
towered over radiation oncologist Marc Apple at the Parkview Regional Cancer
Center on Friday.
The CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System developed
by California-based Accuray Inc. is “the first and only robotic radiosurgery
system designed to treat tumors anywhere in the body with sub-millimeter
accuracy,” according to the company.
Parkview is one of 40 to 50 facilities in the country
with CyberKnife, Apple said. It is also one of just two facilities in the state
– the other in East Chicago – with CyberKnife, which is not found in
Michigan or Ohio.
“We are really tickled about this,” said Dan
Garman, senior vice president for strategic alliances at Parkview Health.
“It’s good for our patients, good for the community.”
Parkview worked with Radiation Oncology Associates,
Indiana Surgical Specialists, Neuro Spine and Pain Center, Fort Wayne
Cardiovascular Surgeons and Indiana/Ohio Heart to bring CyberKnife to Fort
Wayne, Garman said.
The hospital footed about half of the $4 million
investment. The system cost $3.5 million, and about $500,000 was spent to
prepare a surgery suite for the apparatus, including support equipment, Garman
said.
CyberKnife has a large robotic arm with a swiveling a
malletlike head that directs a highly focused beam of radiation at widths
ranging from 5 millimeters to 6 centimeters, Apple said. The system uses image
guidance technology and computer-controlled robotics to continuously detect,
monitor and compensate for tumor and patient movement. Because of this, there is
no need for head or body frames to stabilize patient movement, although patients
must lie still during treatment.
Rather than using a scalpel, CyberKnife uses highly
concentrated doses of radiation to treat tumors or lesions.
The high-level of accuracy makes it safe to use in
attacking cancerous tumors close to organs and throughout the body, not just in
the head and neck like traditional radiosurgery systems. But it works well
there, too.
“Literally,
we treat tumors that are right on the optic nerve,” Apple said.
Medicare, Medicaid and all major insurers cover the
new treatment, he said. About 10 patients have opted for the new treatment since
the system arrived in mid-April, Garman said. Worldwide, about 18,000 patients
have been treated with CyberKnife, Apple said.
Apple said it is nice to see patients walk away
without the pain.
Parkview
Debuts Robotic Surgery
(Fort
Wayne-WANE-January 31, 2005) - Imagine being wheeled into the operating room and
being greeted by a robot. That's exactly what could happen at Parkview Hospital
for cardiac patients.
Monday
morning, cardiovascular surgeon David Sowden demonstrated the $1.2 million 'Da
Vinci' Surgical System. It has two robotic arms and a microscopic camera...all
of which are controlled by the surgeon a few feet away from the operating table.
Doctors
said robotic surgery is a lot less intrusive than regular heart surgery, because
only three small incisions need to be made to the patient, instead of the
typical 12-inch incision down the middle of the chest.
"The
centers that have been doing this for a while send patients home in 36-48 hours
instead of 4-6 days," Sowden said. "People are back to work in a week
instead of 10-12 weeks and fully recovered in 10 days to 2 weeks."
Lutheran Hospital said it has no plans to buy a similar product.