LOS ANGELES, Aug. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The Los Angeles Spine Surgery Institute (LASSI) at St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles continues to provide advances in patient care with the addition of the Medtronic StealthStation(R) Siemens SIREMOBIL(R) ISO-C 3D C-Arm imaging system to its surgical program. Already renowned nationally as an innovator in the treatment of spinal disorders, LASSI surgeons are the first in the Los Angeles area to employ fully integrated, three-dimensional image-guided technology for spine surgery.
Image-guided surgery can be compared to the location and directional tracking systems used for cars and ships today -- it is, in effect, a GPS system for the surgeon. This technology superimposes the position of the instruments used during surgery onto images of the anatomy displayed on a monitor improving the spine surgeon's spatial orientation to unexposed anatomy during surgery. The addition of the imaging system delivers the gold standard of three-dimensional intra-operative imaging to LASSI surgeons providing a real-time three-dimensional view of the area they are working on. Traditional imaging studies limit physicians to a two-dimensional view so that they must approximate the anatomy they cannot see.
While surgical expertise and experience remain the most critical factors in patient outcomes, a spine surgeon may use intra-operative navigation technologies to aid in the placement and sizing of spinal implants, such as artificial discs or "cages," which are designed to provide stability during a spinal fusion.
"From artificial discs to image-guided technology, recent medical advances have expanded the range of treatment options available to patients with spinal problems," said Dr. Lytton Williams, co-director and co-founder of the Los Angeles Spine Surgery Institute at St. Vincent Medical Center. "We constantly evaluate new techniques and technologies to incorporate the latest advances into our program and provide excellent care and improve outcomes for those patients."
"At the Los Angeles Spine Surgery Institute, we are dedicated to providing the most optimal course of treatment based on patients' individual needs," said Dr. Watkins, co-director and co-founder of the Los Angeles Spine Surgery Institute at St. Vincent Medical Center. "This philosophy, combined with the expertise of our medical staff, allows us to fulfill our vision of providing comprehensive care and options to people with spinal injuries."
About the Los Angeles Spine Surgery Institute
The Los Angeles Spine Surgery Institute (LASSI) is revolutionizing the treatment of spinal disorders with surgical and non-surgical methods, education and exercise programs. Their goal is to provide the most comprehensive care for athletes and non-athletes alike by combining the talents of a multi-disciplinary group of specialists with the determination of the patients who want to get back to their lives.
The Institute encourages advanced spine physical rehabilitation, sports medicine regimens and exercise routines designed for each individual that can both prevent and repair spine and back problems, all in a personalized setting. Cutting-edge therapies are pioneered at the Institute as the surgeons participate in international clinical trials and push themselves to improve outcomes and options for their patients.
The renowned surgeons of LASSI are: Dr. Robert Watkins, III, Dr. Lytton Williams and Dr. Robert Watkins, IV.
About St. Vincent Medical Center
St. Vincent Medical Center, a 347-bed acute care hospital located in downtown Los Angeles, is a member of The Daughters of Charity Health System, a regional not-for-profit and faith-based healthcare system spanning the California coast. Residents of the Los Angeles region as well as individuals from around the globe seek out the hospital's renowned services in multi-organ transplantation, spinal surgery, cardiac surgery and cardiovascular services, electrophysiology, interventional radiology, and the multi-disciplinary therapies available from the House Ear Neurotology and Neurosurgery Center. The acute care services are complemented by St. Vincent Medical Center's commitment to community outreach through innovative programs such as Casa de Amigos, the Breast Cancer Education program, Community Health Ministry and our High School Athlete Outreach program. In 2006, St. Vincent Medical Center will celebrate 150 years of serving the community and the Mission of the Daughters of Charity as Los Angeles' first hospital.
CONTACT: Aimee Corso St. Vincent Medical Center 213-484-7330 aimeecorso@dochs.org Rebecca Macdonald FischerHealth 310-577-7870 rmacdonald@fischerhealth.com Los Angeles
St. Vincent Medical Center inCONTACT: Aimee Corso of St. Vincent Medical Center, +1-213-484-7330, oraimeecorso@dochs.org; or Rebecca Macdonald of FischerHealth,+1-310-577-7870, or rmacdonald@fischerhealth.com, for St. Vincent MedicalCenter in Los Angeles
