Posted on 05/06/2006 8:15:41 AM PDT by Dark Skies
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 $500,000 was spent to prepare a surgery suite for the apparatus, including support equipment, Garman said.
CyberKnife has a large robotic arm with a swiveling a malletlike head that directs a highly focused beam of radiation at widths ranging from 5 millimeters to 6 centimeters, Apple said. The system uses image guidance technology and computer-controlled robotics to continuously detect, monitor and compensate for tumor and patient movement. Because of this, there is no need for head or body frames to stabilize patient movement, although patients must lie still during treatment.
Rather than using a scalpel, CyberKnife uses highly concentrated doses of radiation to treat tumors or lesions.
The high-level of accuracy makes it safe to use in attacking cancerous tumors close to organs and throughout the body, not just in the head and neck like traditional radiosurgery systems. But it works well there, too.
“Literally, we treat tumors that are right on the optic nerve,” Apple said.
Medicare, Medicaid and all major insurers cover the new treatment, he said. About 10 patients have opted for the new treatment since the system arrived in mid-April, Garman said. Worldwide, about 18,000 patients have been treated with CyberKnife, Apple said.
Apple said it is nice to see patients walk away without the pain.
And they say America isn't the capital of the BEST medical services in the world!
Same type of machine they used on prostrate cancerous growths too. Leaves only 6 little scars where it clamped down on your stomach that went away in a two weeks or so.
( except they also tried to hit me in the billings dept. with a 40$ charge for " Therma Recouperation Treatment " ; which was a bag of ICE for the swelling!! Rip-off artists!!)
Thanks for the post.
DAB
I hope it's not running Windows or Linux.
"Your husband's operation was going beautifully, Mrs. Wilson, until.................."
Will it be able to cure liberals of their mental disorder?
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Would you please add me to your Futuretech ping list?
Welcome aboard!
Welcome aboard!
Thx!
Reminds me of the scene in "Logan's Run" when Farrah Fawcett was getting face surgery. The computer went bizerk and began slicing & dicing with its' lasers.
Please add me to your ping list
Capitalism works.
The State of Missouri has 2 of the 40 to 50 facilities in The United States with CyberKnife.
The countries of Canada, England and France each have None, Zero, Nada .
Here is a link to a review. The show was fascinating, I encourage folks to watch it when it is on again.
there's one about 65 miles from here in Johnson City NY.
I can understand wanting to avoid the BSOD during surgery, but am unclear why you included Linux in your comment.
Of course, when the doctor has to pospone the operation because he can't recompile one of his drivers for his surgical instruments because the latest kernel broke them, I might feel differently. :-)
Because I use both.
I was trying to make joke.
I know.
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