For Immediate Release
September 3, 2002
Contact: Maria E. Ramos
(219) 865-2141, ext. 45321
Maria.Ramos@ssfhs.org

HAMMOND—The Brain & Spine Institute at Saint Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers recently acquired a state-of-the-art, surgical image-guided system, the CBYON® Suite. Developed at Stanford University Medical Center, Saint Margaret Mercy is one of the first healthcare providers in Northwest Indiana to adopt this new technology.

The CBYON Suite is designed to enable minimally invasive cranial surgery and help the Brain & Spine Institute offer improved patient care – precise surgery, less pain and quicker recovery.

During a minimally invasive procedure, it is common to use an endoscope. A limitation of the endoscope is its small field of view. The CBYON Suite solves this problem by displaying prospective 3-dimensional views beyond the visible surfaces of the endoscope and surgical site.

“One of the challenges during minimally invasive neurosurgery is the inability to see beyond the exposed surface of the brain or spine,” said Dr. Kern Guppy, neurosurgeon at Saint Margaret Mercy’s Brain & Spine Institute. “The precise location of critical structures is difficult to determine. The CBYON Suite not only tells us the location of our surgical instruments, but it also tells us what anatomy lies beyond the visible surface of these instruments. This technology offers a means to reduce inadvertent injury to critical structures.”

Physicians use the CBYON Suite image guidance system before and during surgery to better plan surgical procedures. Using pre-surgical CT data, the software creates a 3D image or “virtual patient” that represents the actual patient’s anatomy. By making selected surfaces on the virtual patient transparent, the surgeon is provided with a form of “X-ray vision” that allows for visualization of hidden structures during surgery.

In addition, the surgeon can observe the patient imaging data from any orientation and can virtually move around and through the virtual patient to locate the best path. It is almost like the surgeon’s eyes are at the end of their instrument and they can see what is all around them.

Dr. Konstantin Slavin, neurosurgeon at the Brain & Spine Institute, and Dr. Guppy used this technique for the first time at Saint Margaret Mercy on a 70-year-old male with multiple medical problems, who had a 2.0 centimeter tumor located close to the brainstem.

“The technique reduced the surgical time considerably and the tumor was removed completely, allowing the patient to have a shorter hospital stay,” said Dr. Guppy.

“The CBYON Suite is easy-to-use and provides information to guide decisions during surgery, especially in more complex, unique cases,” adds Dr. Slavin. “I am glad to have access to this up-to-date technology at Saint Margaret Mercy.”

For more information about the Brain & Spine Institute or the CBYON Suite, contact the program coordinator at 219-932-2300 or 708-891-9305, ext. 38050.