The first Leica OH6 microscope in Africa, which offers high definition, three-dimensional visual access for microsurgery, has been installed at Netcare Greenacres Hospital in Port Elizabeth.
Neurosurgeons Dr Jibin Francis and Dr Sajid Ansari say that this sophisticated technology offers a plethora of benefits for microsurgery, making surgery on tumours and aneurysms in particular, safer and more efficient.
“This microscope has superior optics, which aids in the performance of complex, intricate operations, especially intracranial surgery,” Dr Francis notes.
“It has also integrated a tumour fluorescence module for more precise differentiation of tumours from surrounding brain tissue, allowing for more complete tumour removal,” Dr Ansari adds.
The Leica OH6 microscope can be used for any microsurgery, including plastic and reconstructive surgery, but at Netcare Greenacres Hospital it is used exclusively for neurosurgery. Dr Francis says it is used for the full range of neurosurgical operations, whether brain, neck, or back surgery.
The delicacy and complexity of these tissues means that surgery on these areas is highly intricate, requiring extreme accuracy.
The microscope’s highly sophisticated technology allows the surgeon and their assistant to see the surgical site with far greater clarity and detail.
“In our practice, both surgeon and assistant are usually specialist neurosurgeons, and one of the great benefits of this microscope is the superior assistant scope optics, which allow for easier and more efficient surgery,” Dr Ansari explains.
The microscope also shows the operative area on a screen, which can be useful for training purposes. The resolution the microscope offers significantly extends the surgeon’s perception, thereby extending their surgical capabilities. It is also equipped with special illuminating technology, providing optimal light intensity adjusted for the distance to the surgical site.
This powerful instrument provides myriad advantages, enabling the neurosurgeon to see into deep, narrow cavities in tissue, giving greater visual access for extremely intricate surgery.
“The microscope is also equipped with a vascular module, which gives the surgeon the option of real time intraoperative angiography. This enables us to ensure that the goals of the operation, most commonly the clipping of aneurysms, have been safely completed,” Dr Francis adds.
The microscope is adjustable and allows the surgeon to work comfortably, which is particularly beneficial for long surgical procedures.
The design means that it gives the surgeons plenty of space to work, although the Netcare Greenacres Hospital theatre where it is installed was designed with the need for large microscopes taken into account. “It is as much a part of our theatre as the operating table,” Dr Francis concludes.
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Issued by: Martina Nicholson Associates (MNA) on behalf of Netcare Greenacres Hospital
Contact : Martina Nicholson, Graeme Swinney, Sarah Wilson or Meggan Saville
Telephone: (011) 469 3016
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