Hospital’s O-arm boosts precision in neurosurgery

Dr. Yevgeniy Khavkin used to perform brain and spinal surgeries with a road map provided by pre- and post-operative CT scans.

Today, his scalpel is guided by imaging technology that’s a lot closer to a GPS: the O-arm, a new scanner that takes less than a minute to capture 391 images compiled in hundreds of slices to help form a 3-D picture of patients undergoing surgery.

Centennial Hills Hospital & Medical Center’s newest technology is said to be the first of its kind in Nevada and comes as part of a more than $1 million investment to bolster the hospital’s neurosurgery program.

Program director Khavkin, who performed the hospital’s first O-arm surgery, said the new doughnut-shaped scanner should help surgeons avoid touching nerves, muscle, tissue or bone that could impede patients’ recovery time and healing process.

He also expects the imaging system to help surgeons place implants more quickly and get patients off the operating table sooner.

“Time is critical in the operating room because you don’t want to keep patients under anesthesia any longer than necessary” Khavkin said. “The (O-arm) provides multidimensional images in about 30 seconds and can show surgeons real-time 3-D imaging not offered by other available technologies.”

The O-arm will be used primarily for spine, neurological and orthopedic surgeries, according to hospital CEO Sajit Pullarkat.

Pullarkat said speed isn’t the only advantage to the new scanner.

He hopes giving surgeons quick, mid-procedure access to high-resolution images of patients also will help improve accuracy and reduce the chances of having to undergo a revision procedure.

“This advanced equipment provides precise surgical navigation that is important with these intricate surgeries,” Pullarkat said. “It puts (surgeons) in a position to make sure everything is perfect.”

Quicker access to better images could lead to a broader surgery menu, according to Pullarkat.

“I think it accommodates more complicated procedures,” he said. “There aren’t a whole lot of people using it, and we’ve got nothing but positive feedback, so we’re certainly happy to have it.”

So is Shelby Vincent Jr., a 47-year-old hotel maintenance manager who became Centennial Hills Hospital’s first O-arm-guided surgery patient last month.

Vincent, who suffered from a bulging disc in his back, spent three years seeking out alternatives before agreeing to surgery March 11.

Six weeks later, he couldn’t be happier.

“It’s going fantastic,” Vincent said of his rehab. “I’m still little bit sore, but the incision has already healed completely and they have me walking around. I’m just absolutely thrilled.”

Contact Centennial and North Las Vegas View reporter James DeHaven at jdehaven@viewnews.com or 702-477-3839.