Our Technology
We use the state-of-the-art technologies and the most advanced procedures available, including image-guided navigation, similar to a global positioning system, to reach almost any area of the brain through small incisions in the skull. This enables us to address the full spectrum of brain and spine disorders while minimizing the risk of complications.
Our technology and training are some of the best in the world. That, combined with our compassion and demand for excellence, has enabled us to attract patients from around the region and across the country.
World-class technology in the hands of our physicians and medial staff – who have expert skill, knowledge and superb training – offers our patients and their families more hope than they ever thought imaginable.
We are proud to offer the most sophisticated neurosurgery technology on the market today.
Smart OR™
We are opening a state-of-the-art intra-operative MRI (iMRI) "Smart OR" surgical suite at Sacred Heart Hospital. This amazing technology enables our award-winning neurosurgeons to take MRI images during surgery to confirm tumor removal before concluding surgery, improving our commitment to patient safety. And this life-saving equipment is integrated with our existing BrainLAB® neurosurgical mapping system. The merger of these technologies creates a "smart operating suite" among the best in the world.
Click here to learn more about this cutting-edge system, which revolutionizes neurosurgery outcomes for our patients.
Watch a video of our Smart OR™ Suite here.
Biplane Angiography Suite
Our Biplane Angiography Suite is a state-of-the-art facility that enables us to capture and view detailed images of the vessels of the brain and the body. We use a Siemens biplane angiogram room with rotational angiography and three-dimensional reconstruction capabilities to perform these procedures. This machine, one of the first of this caliber in the region, has two x-ray tubes that can move independently but operate simultaneously, allowing images to be taken from two directions at once. This provides our physicians with more information and makes the procedure quicker and more efficient.
In addition, one of these tubes can rotate around the patient’s head, collecting a large number of images, which can then be reconstructed on the computer to create three-dimensional images of the blood vessels in the brain. This facilitates safe planning of minimally invasive procedures such as aneurysm treatments, vessel stenting and injection of substances to block weakened or diseased blood vessels in malformations or tumors.
This neurosurgical interventional suite is the only one of its kind in western Wisconsin.
BrainLAB VectorVision® Neuronavigational System
Image-guided surgery is the gold standard in neurosurgery today. This technology-assisted surgery is a “global positioning system” for the brain and spine. At the Brain & Spine Institute, we employ the BrainLAB VectorVision® Neuronavigational System. This amazing system enables our neurosurgeons to map the precise location of a tumor, in addition to key anatomical structures within a patient’s brain.
Using pre-operative imaging such as MRI or CT, the VectorVision® Neuronavigational System computes a three-dimensional “virtual space” reconstruction of the patient’s brain, which is then mapped to the “real space” of the patient’s brain. This enables our neurosurgeons to perform virtual surgical planning prior to the operation, outlining the tumor and critical surrounding structures, thereby planning the safest and most accurate pathway for tumor removal.
This system also allows our neurosurgeons to see beyond the surface of the surgical field through the use of computer renderings. Our surgeons can continuously track the exact position of their surgical instruments throughout the surgical procedure.
We also use this neurosurgical system to create three-dimensional reconstructions of the spine, which enables our neurosurgeons to place surgical implants with the utmost precision and accuracy.
The Brain & Spine Institute is currently one of fewer than 50 BrainLAB® luminary sites worldwide for our contribution to research and the advancement of neurosurgery with our new BrainLAB® Neuronavigational System.
Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring (IONM)
Surgical neurophysiology, also known as Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring (IONM), is the testing and monitoring of the nervous system during brain, spine and peripheral nerve surgery. This type of monitoring assists the surgeon in avoiding or reducing complications, such as nerve damage and stroke (depending on the type of surgery), by acting as an “early warning device.”
PACS Digital Imaging
Our neurosurgeons use a state-of-the-art Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS), which digitally acquires and saves images such as X-rays, CTs and MRIs, enabling images to be available to surgeons and patients just minutes after a study is performed. These diagnostic imaging studies are available to the physicians in their clinic exam rooms as well as in their operating rooms.
SIREMOBIL Iso-C3D Intraoperative Fluoroscopy
Iso-C3D intraoperative fluoroscopy helps guide the surgeon during an operation. The Iso-C3D produces CT-like images, which allows the surgeon to immediately confirm that the goals of surgery have been met, including relief of pressure off the nerves or spinal cord and proper placement of screws, plates and rods. This technology generates three-dimensional images within seconds after being taken, enabling the surgeon to check the proper placement of implants and make adjustments accordingly.