| January/February '09 Feature Article |
Revolutionizing Orthopedic Surgery with ‘Brain Lab’ Technology
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Hip and knee replacements have changed the lives of thousands of patients, replacing pain and limitations with mobility and newfound freedom. The orthopedic surgeons affiliated with Fauquier Health have had excellent success with joint replacements, and great outcomes are the norm. But now technology is taking the surgery to a new level.
Brain Lab
It’s called “Brain Lab.” Innovative equipment allows a surgeon to see exactly what is going on inside a patient, enabling more precise, less invasive, patient-specific care.
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| Brain Lab can make a great surgeon even better. |
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Orthopedic surgeon James Ramser, MD, of Blue Ridge Orthopaedics Associates, PC, in Warrenton, Va., is enthusiastic about Brain Lab. “Our hip replacement surgeries have been very successful for years. We do a great job. But Brain Lab allows a surgeon to do everything better,” he said.
More Data
Infrared sensors pinpoint the exact locations of crucial anatomical points. During surgery, doctors can view a computer screen that shows exactly where bones and implants are inside the patient, allowing them to tailor the size and positioning of implants to the specific anatomy of each patient. “Brain Lab just gives us so much more data to work with,” said Dr. Ramser. “The more data, the better.”
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| James Ramser, MD, of Blue Ridge Orthopaedics Associates, PC, is affiliated with Fauquier Health. |
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Hip Replacement
Dr. Ramser recently performed a total hip replacement on a patient who had been in a motorcycle accident, causing significant damage on the left side of his body. “We had operated on his left hip before, but the ball of the joint had collapsed, requiring total hip replacement,” explained Dr. Ramser. Just two weeks after surgery, even earlier than Dr. Ramser had predicted, and to the amazement of his neighbors, the patient was walking almost normally with a cane and had no pain.
Knee Surgery
The precision of Brain Lab helps Dr. Ramser during knee surgeries as well. The computer is able to help surgeons equalize the tension of the ligaments on both sides of the knee. “This is very hard to do using traditional surgery,” noted Dr. Ramser.
Brain Lab also allows the surgeon to see, predict, and adjust the angle of the joint replacement before preparing the bones. “That angle is very important with knee surgery.”
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| Brain Lab uses infrared sensors to show exactly where bones and implants are inside the body. |
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Sinus Operations
Ear, nose and throat specialist Christopher Chang, MD, of Fauquier Ear, Nose and Throat Consultants of Virginia, Fauquier Health Medical Center, has used Brain Lab as well, and performed several hundred Brain Lab sinus cases at Duke University. He is excited to offer this service at Fauquier Hospital now.
“It is a great tool for sinus surgery,” he said. “I can see exactly where the tip of the surgical instrument is at all times in three dimensions. This is especially important since the sinuses are so close to the brain and eyes.”
Dr. Ramser agreed. “Brain Lab is a fantastic tool. It lets you see what you can’t see.”
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| Christopher Chang, MD, Fauquier Ear, Nose and Throat Consultant of Virginia, Fauquier Health Medical Center, uses Brain Lab for sinus surgeries. |
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