Dr. Geoffrey Hill, center, demonstrates Glens Falls Hospital’s new interventional radiology system with nurse Linda Godfrey and respiratory therapist David Hayes.
Glens Falls Hospital has again advanced its
capabilities in minimally invasive diagnostic and
treatment procedures with a $1 million investment
in a new interventional radiology system.
The system is part of $25 million in technology
and facility improvements being made at
the hospital this year. Interventional radiology
is a medical specialty in which doctors view
real-time X-ray imaging to guide catheters and
other tiny instruments through the body for
procedures that would otherwise require open
surgery.
Glens Falls Hospital’s two Interventional Radiology
Suites are used for a wide variety of procedures
related to the vascular and neurological
systems, kidney disease, women’s health and
other conditions. The procedures are performed
by interventional radiologists, vascular surgeons
and pain management specialists.
The new Toshiba Infinix system, which went
into service over the summer, replaces an older
system. Its advanced imaging and real-time
radiation-monitoring
capabilities enable doctors
to treat patients more precisely and quickly,
minimizing radiation exposure.
The new features will also enable doctors
to provide new forms of cancer treatment for
which Glens Falls area patients now have to
travel to Albany or farther.
“Patients will immediately see benefits from
this new technology,” said hospital President
and CEO Dianne Shugrue. “This investment is
another example of how we are continuously
looking for ways to deliver an even higher quality
of care and an overall outstanding patient and
visitor experience.”
The new Infinix system offers a feature called
3D Roadmapping, through which 3D images of
the patient’s organs or systems can be created
in advance of the procedure and then superimposed
on the live X-ray image during the
procedure, providing the doctor with a more
detailed “roadmap” by which to navigate the
instruments.
Officials said the 3D image remains aligned
with the X-ray image even when the patient’s
position is shifted on the procedure table.
Infinix also features specialized needle guidance
software that provides the doctor greater
precision in choosing the right entry point and
determining the proper angle for procedures
requiring the use of a needle, such as a biopsy.
In addition to providing more detailed imaging,
the new system has features to help reduce
patient exposure to radiation, particularly in
procedures that can last two to three hours,
according to the hospital. The spot fluoroscopy
feature allows doctors to capture a still image of
a larger area of the patient’s body and project it
on a monitor as a background, and then superimpose
a live X-ray image of the precise area of
the body where the doctor is working.
Officials said this minimizes the area of the
body that is exposed to radiation. Infinix also
includes a dose tracking system, which provides
the doctor with real-time
data on the amount of
radiation that has been delivered to any particular
area of the body so that adjustments can be
made to protect patient safety.
The enhanced capabilities of the new system
allow the hospital to offer two new forms of cancer
treatment, said officials. Radioembolization
is a procedure in which radiation is delivered
directly to a cancerous tumor from inside the
body rather than through external beam radiation.
This treatment is most often used for
liver cancer because the liver does not tolerate
external beam radiation well.
Chemoembolization is a similar procedure, in
which chemotherapy drugs are delivered directly
to a tumor rather than through an intravenous
system, officials said. Chemoembolization can
be used for both primary and metastatic liver
cancer. Both of these procedures are palliative,
not curative, but have been shown to prolong a
cancer patient’s quality and length of life.
“I have seen firsthand how these treatments
can give people with terminal illnesses more
quality time with family and friends, and I can’t
wait to see it happening here in this region,” said
Dr. Geoffrey Hill, an interventional radiologist
with Adirondack Radiology Associates who
treated cancer patients with this technology during
his residency at the University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center and his fellowship at Thomas
Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia. “I can’t say
enough about how important it is that Glens
Falls Hospital is making this investment.”
“With this investment, Glens Falls Hospital
is once again demonstrating its commitment to
high-quality cancer care,” said Dr. John Stoutenburg,
medical director of The C. R. Wood Cancer
Center at Glens Falls Hospital.
“These exciting Interventional radiology procedures
are another important treatment option
for our patients. They add to the comprehensive
Medical and Radiation Oncology services offered
at our Cancer Center,” he said.
For more information on Interventional Radiology
at Glens Falls Hospital, call 926-4151.