Minimal invasive

No end of uses and items for endoscopy

There are 12 categories for endoscopes or endoscopy products at MEDICA, as hundreds of firms exhibit the necessary materials or equipment for this expanding surgical field.

SpinalAssist - Miccro-precise surgery assistant, equipped with MPS drive systems

Accuracy and precision are of the utmost importance in spinal surgery. At ComPaMED 2007, Micro Precision Systems AG (MPS) presented its SpineAssist - a bone-mounted system that accurately guides the surgeon when placing implants destined to stabilize spinal fusions in open and especially in minimally invasive surgery (MIS).

The digital operating theatre

In 1996, NDS Surgical Imaging developed and launched the first Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technologies for Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) viewing applications.

Leica Microsystems' next-generation surgical microscope

Opening up new dimensions in ergonomics and mobility — in close cooperation with leading neurosurgeons, Leica designed a new swivel arm for its M525 OH4 surgical microscope that offers 36% more reach than comparable instruments.

Minimally invasive hip replacement

By Dr Sebastian Radmer, of the orthopaedics and rheumatic surgery department at Immanuel Hospital, Berlin

Article • Neuropelveology

Forging links between neurology and surgery

Surgery in the lower pelvic region often involves injury to or severing of nerve tissue. As in chronic diseases of the nervous system, the result can be pain, sensory disturbances or loss of function. Up to now the poor view of the nerves, partially formed of fine interwoven networks, has been one of the major problems – exacerbated by the strict division of skills between neurologists and…

Non-invasive monitoring of airway inflammation in asthma and COPD

By Paolo Montuschi MD, of the Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.

Innovative solution for hearing loss

Otologics' Carina could improve the quality of life for patients suffering from hearing loss. The fully implantable hearing device uses a transducer to move the middle ear bones - much like the eardrum causes the middle ear bones to vibrate in response to sound wave. Carina implantation surgery takes about three hours and is an easy procedure with low surgical risks. (The whole article is only…

Neuroradiological Applications of Biplane Angiography Technology

Endovascular therapy of diseases of the brain-supplying blood vessels has recently sparked new interest. Hundreds of these minimally invasive and often operation-substituting interventions are now being performed annually at neuroradiological centers. The most impressive results in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms are achieved using coil embolization. Endovascular therapy has been lound to…

Robotic Forceps

Toshiba has developed robotic forceps for use in laparoscopic surgery — a type of minimally invasive surgery that contributes to the patient's quality of life. By using the robotic forceps, the surgeon can lay sutures from any direction without difficulty.

Carotid Stenting

Arteriosclerosis is well known as a vascular disease and cardiovascular risk factor. In its generalised form it affects not only the peripheral vessels (pelvis, legs) but also the coronary vessels and the carotid arteries. Arteriosclerosis is primarily a manifestation of advancing age, hence it is often accompanied by other diseases of the lungs and the heart as well as by metabolic diseases…

Achieving precise power output

Professor Martin Raithel MD* works alongside medical devices manufacturer Bowa on the use of argon plasma coagulation in endoscopy. "The argon unit, in conjunction with the generators of the Bowa ARC range, is working very reliably in different disciplines", he says. "It is opening up new methods in flexible endoscopy with argon-assisted electrosurgery due to its outstanding…

Multislice CT Angiography for Advanced Diagnostics and Therapy Control of Aortic Diseases

Modern imaging modalities are increasingly playing a role in planning therapy for aortic diseases and in follow-up exams after surgery or endovascular intervention. The methods employed for minimally invasive endovascular therapy have been continually improved in recent years and are now being used by vascular surgeons or radiologists to treat thoracic, thoracoabdominal and abdominal aortic…

CT Fluoroscopy-Guided Spine Interventions

Pain management due to spinal disorders and perispinal conditions represents an important health issue for the 21st century. Over the past decades, growing disability resulting from back pain has enabled development of alternative techniques and treatments to surgery. CT fluoroscopic needle guidance has allowed decreasing risk and maximizing patien comfort in spinal minimal invasive treatments.

Notes on NOTES

Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES - a technique that could revolutionize minimally invasive surgery (MIS) by eliminating abdominal incisions - is slowly shifting from research on animal models to human patients.

Taking a dive into the 21st Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery Congress

Emphasis on advances in the use of computer assisted radiology and surgery (CARS) technologies in clinical diagnoses and therapies, will herald the opening of CARS this year.

3rd educational publication on MIS

The European Medical Technology Industry Association, Eucomed, has launched the third in a series of educational publications on medical technology innovation, focusing on minimally invasive surgery (MIS).

The 3-Tesla

A next generation MR-guided intra-operative surgical suite has been installed at Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Centre following collaboration with GE Healthcare and Maquet GmbH & Co. KG.

Patient safety during endoscopy

Despite thorough cleansing, endoscopy tools can be re-contaminated because non-sterile water is used for the final rinse.

Hospital Manager Symposium at ECR 2007

For Christian Herold, President of the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) 2007, the Hospital Manager Symposium is one of the annual highlights of the congress.

The Yale-method for hip replacements

About 1,600,000 artificial hips are implanted every year, in Germany alone.

Bone Support study is underway

Cerament Spine Support, designed by the medical technology company BoneSupport to treat osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, has achieved full patient enrolment in an open, multi-centre study which will investigate the product's efficacy, safety, and the beneficial quality of life outcome for the patients. The study, being carried out at six centres in Germany, involves 40 patients aged…