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Orange County's first portable, full-body CT scanner makes neurosurgery faster, safer

March 07, 2013

UCI Health is bringing an unmatched precision to neurosurgery with a first-of-its-kind portable full-body CT scanner now being used at UC Irvine Medical Center. The BodyTom® captures high-resolution, 3D images of the brain and spine in the operating room.

By providing real-time updates as the surgery unfolds, the scanner eliminates the need to move patients between operating room and radiology suite and makes surgeries safer.

BodyTom can obtain images of the entire spine in one pass, providing detailed three-dimensional images of both bone and soft tissue unavailable using flat-panel fluoroscopic imaging that is typically found in most operating suites. This enables the surgeon to assess any developing complications before the patient leaves the operating room.

The scanner enables UCI Health surgeons to perform complex brain and spine surgery with a high degree of accuracy, which reduces the potential for complications and improves outcomes.

Since it arrived in January, BodyTom is being used in cases to treat epilepsy, brain tumors and other neurological and spinal disorders. Its detailed imaging capabilities are also invaluable in complex spine surgeries that demand precision placement of surgical instrumentation, as well as meticulous tissue and bone checks before incisions are closed.

The system also can be used urologic, orthopaedic and skull base surgeries.

By acquiring BodyTom, UCI Health continues to demonstrate its commitment to the best patient care by providing leading-edge technology that complements the skill and experience of its surgeons.

Intraoperative CT ultimately will be used at all major medical centers in the future, according to Dr. Frank P.K. Hsu, head of neurosurgery services at UCI Health.

UCI Health comprises the clinical, medical education and research enterprises of the University of California, Irvine. Patients can access UCI Health at physician offices throughout Orange County and at its main campus, UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, Calif., a 412-bed acute care hospital that provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, behavioral health and rehabilitation. U.S. News & World Report has listed it among America’s Best Hospitals for 12 consecutive years. UC Irvine Medical Center features Orange County’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program, Level I trauma center and Level II pediatric trauma center. It is also the primary teaching hospital for UCI Health School of Medicine. UCI Health serves a region of more than 3 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeastern Los Angeles County.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UC Irvine is among the most dynamic campuses in the University of California system, with more than 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,400 staff. Orange County’s second-largest employer, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $4.3 billion. For more UC Irvine news, visit www.news.uci.edu.