This year alone, nearly 5,000 children in the United States will be diagnosed with a brain tumor – a frightening experience for both children and their loved ones, who never imagine that they will be the ones to have to navigate this hardship.
For Willie and Pleshette Young, the news came unexpectedly – as it often does – after their six-year-old son, Willie, Jr. was rushed to the emergency room. When they arrived at the hospital, a CT scan detected a life-threatening tumor and Willie was sent to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami for emergency surgery.
It can be challenging for surgeons to distinguish with the naked eye between tumorous tissue and normal brain tissue to determine how much of a tumor has been removed in surgery for adults, let alone small children. Historically, it has often been necessary to perform multiple surgeries to ensure total resection of the tumor, that the doctor is only able to validate with high definition imaging that’s conducted after the surgery.
Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI), however, is changing that.
With the IMRIS Surgical Theatre, pediatric neurosurgeons can check their work as they go, to optimize their workflow and minimize the need for a second surgery – ultimately improving the outcome for the child.
According to several studies, surgeons using iMRI technology modified their procedure in 40 percent of all cases based on findings of the mid-procedure imaging. Additionally, surgeons increased their total resection rate for patients by more than 30 percent. Thanks to the IMRIS Surgical Theatre, the neurosurgical team at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami is able to quickly respond to life-threatening tumors and ensure the most effective surgeries possible for young children like Willie Young, Jr.
To date, more than 30,000 patients have benefited from IMRIS’ intraoperative MRI and CT technology in more than 75 hospitals around the globe. With the IMRIS Surgical Theatre, hospitals can leverage this life-saving technology to streamline workflows, optimize their capabilities and give families like the Youngs the care and quality they need. For families and surgeons who have benefited from IMRIS, the outcomes are invaluable. As pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Toba Niazi stated, “this needs to be the gold standard.”
WFMZ-TV recently shared Willie’s story and how the IMRIS Surgical Theatre played a role in saving his life. To view the complete story, click here.