Grady Health System first in Georgia to acquire BrightMatter for brain surgery
July 14, 2016
by Lauren Dubinsky, Senior Reporter
One of the busiest Level 1 trauma centers in the southeast U.S., Grady Health System, will be the first hospital in Georgia to have Synaptive Medical’s BrightMatter technology.
This will provide the physicians with detailed brain images to guide them during interventions in the event of a stroke or tumor.
BrightMatter uses an MR technique called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to generate an image of all of the brain’s pathways. Physicians aren’t able to see the brain pathways with the naked eye or with standard MR.
Even though the physicians know the anatomy of the brain, every patient is different. Oftentimes physicians won’t consider surgery because if they cross the pathways during the procedure, it could lead to complications.
However, BrightMatter may give them the confidence they need to proceed with surgery. DTI is done immediately after the MR is performed, and allows the physicians to plan which approach to treatment is best for each patient.
Since this technology allows for neurosurgical planning, the physicians are able to perform minimally-invasive surgery for hemorrhages and tumors in deep parts of the brain that were previously inoperable. That means smaller incisions, shorter recovery times and the preservation of important brain and spinal cord functions.
The Marcus Stroke and Neuroscience Center at Grady was established in 2010 and it known around the country for its comprehensive stroke care. In 2013, it was named a Joint Commission Comprehensive Stroke Center and was among a small group of facilities that set the national agenda for highly specialized stroke care.
In January, another Level 1 trauma center, Henry Ford Hospital, became one of the first facilities in the U.S. to acquire BrightMatter technology. At that time, it was expected to make 20 to 30 previously inoperable cases candidates for treatment, and also provide a better method of care for more than 100 other patients.
BrightMatter is also in use at Aurora Healthcare in Milwaukee, Lafayette General Medical Center in Louisiana as well as Delray Medical Center and St. Mary’s Medical Center in Palm Beach, Florida.
This will provide the physicians with detailed brain images to guide them during interventions in the event of a stroke or tumor.
BrightMatter uses an MR technique called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to generate an image of all of the brain’s pathways. Physicians aren’t able to see the brain pathways with the naked eye or with standard MR.
Even though the physicians know the anatomy of the brain, every patient is different. Oftentimes physicians won’t consider surgery because if they cross the pathways during the procedure, it could lead to complications.
However, BrightMatter may give them the confidence they need to proceed with surgery. DTI is done immediately after the MR is performed, and allows the physicians to plan which approach to treatment is best for each patient.
Since this technology allows for neurosurgical planning, the physicians are able to perform minimally-invasive surgery for hemorrhages and tumors in deep parts of the brain that were previously inoperable. That means smaller incisions, shorter recovery times and the preservation of important brain and spinal cord functions.
The Marcus Stroke and Neuroscience Center at Grady was established in 2010 and it known around the country for its comprehensive stroke care. In 2013, it was named a Joint Commission Comprehensive Stroke Center and was among a small group of facilities that set the national agenda for highly specialized stroke care.
In January, another Level 1 trauma center, Henry Ford Hospital, became one of the first facilities in the U.S. to acquire BrightMatter technology. At that time, it was expected to make 20 to 30 previously inoperable cases candidates for treatment, and also provide a better method of care for more than 100 other patients.
BrightMatter is also in use at Aurora Healthcare in Milwaukee, Lafayette General Medical Center in Louisiana as well as Delray Medical Center and St. Mary’s Medical Center in Palm Beach, Florida.