St. Mary's New Fluorescence Imaging Technology Benefits Surgical Patients
Major Advancement Allows Surgeons to Visualize Blood Flow During Surgery
St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center announced that patients who have reconstructive, colorectal and other surgeries may now benefit from an innovative imaging technology from Stryker called SPY–PHI. The hospital is one of the first facilities in Oklahoma to implement this advancement in surgery.
The use of this new technology may help surgeons make decisions during surgery based on the quality of blood flow in vessels and micro vessels that provide oxygen to organs.
Adequate blood flow is critical to tissue health and the ability to visualize blood flow in real time with this technology, may assist surgeons in achieving lower rates of postoperative complications and improved surgical outcomes. Traditionally, surgeons relied solely on their clinical judgment to determine whether or not tissue was receiving adequate blood flow to remain viable or healthy. Now, St. Mary’s surgeons can use this technology to see beyond what the human eye can see which has the potential to enhance their clinical judgment and help them optimize patient outcomes.
Learn more about surgery at St. Mary's >
The technology uses a near-infrared low powered laser light source to stimulate a fluorescent imaging agent that has been injected into the blood stream. The fluorescent agent binds to the proteins in blood and circulates through the body. When stimulated by near infrared light, the protein-bound agent emits a fluorescence signal which enables visualization of blood flowing through vessels and into tissue. The fluorescence is captured by a special camera, is processed and is displayed on a video monitor for the surgeon to review.
Because the agent is bound to blood, where the blood goes, it goes. If there is no fluorescence, it can mean that there is compromised blood flow. In situations of poor blood flow, surgeons can make certain decisions or take action while the patient is still in the operating room. Unlike traditional X-ray, this technology allows surgeons to repeat blood flow assessment numerous times throughout the procedure.
The 4K platform that supports the SPY-PHI, is a minimally invasive surgical tower that provides superior visualization and advanced imaging modalities; it features: 4K Image Resolution; L-11 Light Source and Auto-Light Technology and Advanced Imaging Modalities. The Hub allows staff to stream, capture, record and print surgical images and videos directly from the platform for later review.