The director of Neurosurgery, Massimo Cardali: “Being able to control the outcome of the removal directly during the operation radically changes the surgical approach”
MESSINA – The Papardo Hospital of Messina has taken a new step forward in brain tumor surgery with the acquisition of the mobile intraoperative neurological CT scan, a latest generation technology that introduces a paradigm shift in the safety and effectiveness of neurosurgical interventions.
In the treatment of brain tumors, in particular malignant forms such as gliomas, the success of the operation is closely linked to the maximum possible removal of the lesion: the greater the quantity of tumor tissue removed, the greater the patient’s chances of survival.
Starting from the new year, the new intraoperative CT scan will allow the surgeon to check in real time, during the operation, whether the removal was actually complete. Normally, in fact, the CT scan is performed after the operation: if residues emerge, the patient may be forced to return to the operating room, with a lengthening of the hospital stay, an increase in infectious risks and a greater possibility of complications. Thanks to this technology, however, the control takes place immediately, allowing the operation to be completed in the same surgical procedure and significantly improving the entire treatment process.
A further element of great importance is the mobility of the equipment: the CT scan can be used not only in the operating room, but also directly at the patient’s bed, in the ward, in cases where the clinical conditions do not allow safe movement towards the traditional diagnostic rooms. An advantage for the most fragile patients or those in critical conditions.
“This acquisition represents a strategic investment in the quality and safety of care”, declares the General Director, Dr. Catena Di Blasi. “Equipping the Papardo with such advanced technologies means having a concrete impact on clinical outcomes, reducing risks for patients and improving the effectiveness of interventions in one of the most delicate areas of medicine, such as neurosurgery”.
Professor Massimo Cardali, director of Neurosurgery, underlines the clinical value of the innovation: “Being able to control the outcome of the removal directly during the operation radically changes the surgical approach. It means increasing precision, reducing the need for re-operations and offering patients a level of safety and quality of care that until now was not possible to guarantee”.
On the diagnostic side, Dr. Gianpiero Mastroeni, Director of Diagnostic Imaging, highlights the importance of technological integration: “The possibility of taking the CT scan directly to the patient or to the operating room allows timely and very high quality imaging, reducing decision-making times and increasing clinical appropriateness in the most delicate moments of the treatment process”.
The acquisition of the intraoperative CT scan is part of an already consolidated path of excellence of the Papardo Hospital in the area of neurosurgery. Thanks to highly specialized skills and the introduction of two different robotic platforms (the only structure in Europe), it has significantly limited the flight of patients to Northern Italy for complex spinal arthrodesis operations, surgical procedures aimed at stabilizing the spine through the fusion of vertebral segments. Furthermore, the Papardo is today a point of reference for brain operations performed in wake-up surgery, a tenet of the exoscope with the aim of reducing neurological damage – it requires the patient to be alert during some phases of the operation, allowing real-time monitoring of critical functions such as language and movement. A path further strengthened by the use of advanced technologies, including the exoscope, a high definition viewing system that allows the surgeon to operate by looking at a 3D monitor, rather than through the traditional microscope, improving magnification, precision of gestures and ergonomics during brain surgery.
With the acquisition of the intraoperative CT scan, therefore, the Papardo consolidates its role as a regional reference center for highly complex neurosurgery, demonstrating how a structured clinical vision combined with technological innovation translates into a real benefit for the survival and quality of life of patients.
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