MDNews - Cleveland-Akron-Canton

COVER FEATURE Dr. Al-Ali. "They are safer than surgery because they allow us to get to the area of pathology without touching brain tissue and potentially causing damage. They eliminate exposing brain tissue to air and the outside environment, which also minimizes risk." Along with allowing faster recovery and shorter hospital stays, neurointer- ventional techniques make it possible to access areas of the brain that may be too difficult to reach with open surgery. They also enable physicians to treat conditions that previously could not be treated, such as ischemic stroke, by inserting a stent to clear the blockage. According to Dr. Al-Ali, in most Dr. Firas Al-Ali leads the Neuroscience Institute's neurointerventional program. His specialty is minimally invasive techniques, such as aneurysm coiling, intracranial angioplasty and stenting, and external carotid artery embolization, to treat blockages and ruptures in the vessels of the brain and neck. integrate intra-operative imaging — from high-field MRI to multi-slice CT — with surgical navigation, planning and digital data management in the operating room. "iMRI provides intra-operative imag- ing during brain and spinal surgery. By obtaining real-time images while a tumor is resected, we can verify more complete removal while the patient is still in the OR," Dr. Markarian says. "It also helps surgeons identify, during surgery, critical functional areas and pathways within the brain." Brainsuite iCT has an integrated navigation system that links real-time, intra-operative images with spatial positions of surgical instruments. This is useful in spinal surgery to more precisely guide hardware placement and may be used for cranial surgery and some ENT procedures, as well. In addition, the Neuroscience Institute has a 3T MRI which provides fast, high-resolution diagnostic scans and biplane angiography technology for both diagnosis and treatment. "The 3T MRI offers superb quality images for treating movement disor- ders such as Parkinson's disease," says Dr. Markarian. The purpose of all of this new technol- ogy, of course, is to improve patient outcomes. Additional staff has been recruited to do the same. New Neurointerventionalist The Institute's neurosurgical team now includes eight neurosurgeons with two more scheduled to start in July 2013. Additional neurologists who specialize in epilepsy and movement disorders and neurointerventionalists are also being recruited. One of the most recent recruits to Akron General's Neuroscience Institute is Firas Al-Ali, MD, who was brought on board to lead the Institute's neurointer- ventional program. Formerly Dr. Al-Ali was director of Neurointerventional and Diagnostic Services at Borgess Brain and Spine Institute in Michigan where he treated 750 patients a year, one of the largest caseloads in the country. Dr. Al-Ali's specialty is minimally invasive techniques to treat block- ages and ruptures in the vessels of the brain and neck caused by ischemic stroke, aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations. Some of the procedures he performs include aneurysm coiling, intracranial angioplasty and stenting, and external carotid artery embolization. "Neurointerventional procedures offer several distinct advantages," says 10 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton MD NEWS ■ MDNEWS.COM ■ SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2012 facilities, interventional nurses and technologists work in more than one interventional lab. At the Akron General Neuroscience Institute, however, the team is focused completely on neuro- interventional procedures. Dr. Al-Ali believes this singular focus results in better patient care. "We have a dedicated team to coordi- nate care and monitor patients before, during and after treatment," he says. This team approach is not just for patients in need of neurointerventions, but for other patients, as well. "On the cerebral vascular side, patients have a team of specialists that includes a neurologist, neurointerventionalist, neurosurgeon and nurse. Those with pituitary tumors will also be under the care of an endocrinologist and ophthal- mologist," explains Dr. Markarian. It's all part of the Neuroscience Institute's emphasis on collaborative com- prehensive care. And for Dr. Markarian and his colleagues, it's a dream come true. "Patients can now receive the highest quality care for neurologic conditions without ever having to leave this com- munity," he says. "Everything they need is right here close to home." For more information about Akron General's Neuroscience Institute, visit www.akrongeneral.org or www.center forneuroandspine.com. To refer a patient, call 330-344-3100. ■

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