New CT Scan Provides

Advances In Sinus Surgery

A new CT Scan Image System that gives ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeons a tool to make sinus surgery safer and more precise is being used at St Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport.

Ongoing sinus problems can be a source of pain and infection for millions of Americans. The computer assisted navigation system, developed by BrainLAB of Germany, helps surgeons map out the sinuses, leads to improved surgical outcomes and is setting a new standard in care across the United States.

“The system’s ability to provide the surgeon with a CT scan of the sinus in effect gives us a highly detailed 3-D map to guide us through the procedure. The localization or mapping is very useful when critical landmarks are missing or altered due to previous surgery or the erosive and distorting affects of sinus disease,” said Richard Levin, MD, chief of the Division of Otolaryngology, St Vincent’s Medical Center. “With the combination of real-time video and CT scanning technology, the new system enables the surgeon to see microsurgical instruments move through the sinus passages.”

During the procedure an endoscope is inserted through the nose and into the natural opening in the sinus where, with microsurgical instruments, the surgeon attempts to remove obstructions that prevent the sinus from draining. The system is housed in a mobile computer kiosk, which includes monitor, camera, adjustable arm, and 18-inch flat panel touch-screen.

What makes the surgery safer and far more precise than traditional ENT procedures is the system’s ability to provide the surgeon with a CT scan of the sinus, which becomes a highly detailed 3-D map overlay for the live endoscopic video during the procedure.

The American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery has recommended the CT Scan Image System for revision sinus surgery and for the treatment of disease abutting the skull base, optic nerve, carotid artery, as well as in the removal of  benign or malignant sino-nasal tumors.