"The addition of Firefly fluorescence during robotic surgeryimproves our ability to remove kidney tumors when before we mighthave had to remove the whole kidney," said Keith Kowalczyk,MD, urologist and robotic surgeon. "Firefly, which essentiallyutilizes a dye that lights up in "firefly green" whenusing a specialized fluoroscopic camera, can show us the differencebetween cancerous and healthy tissue and helps us see the bloodsupply to the tumor. It lights up parts of the kidney and its bloodsupply we couldn't see this well before." This new innovation uses the minimally-invasive precision of the daVinci Surgical System, and adds the second component of Fireflyfluorescence imaging. MedStar Georgetown is one of the firsthospitals in the DC region to use this new technology. When Eugene Carter of Washington, D.C. was diagnosed with kidneycancer, the decision to have robotic surgery by Dr. Kowalczyk whileutilizing fluorescence imaging seemed the obvious choice. "I'm 70, and with advanced age the hazards of surgery canincrease, so I wanted the least invasive surgery possible,"explained Mr. Carter. "The robotics provide more steadinessand precision, and I wanted my surgeon to be as steady and asprecise as possible. It seems to me this is just a much wisersystem." How does it work? The Firefly technology uses near-infrared imagingto detect an injected tracer dye of indocyanine green (ICG) in theblood. During surgery, urologists use the Firefly system at threedifferent stages of the procedure. The first injection of the dyeinto the IV by the anesthesiologist gives a detailed picture of theblood supply to the kidney. "Up to 25-percent of patients might have extra renal arteriesthat are not always obvious on a CT scan or MRI, so the Firefly canhelp us see these arteries. This helps us ensure that all of theblood supply to the kidney is accounted for and controlled prior tothe removal of the tumor, and can therefore decrease bloodloss," explained Dr. Kowalczyk. The second injection of dye helps the surgeon differentiate betweenthe cancerous tissue and the normal kidney tissue, which can allowfor better tumor removal and potentially a lower risk of leavingany cancer behind. Finally, after the tumor has been removed andthe kidney has been repaired, the dye can again be injected againto ensure that the blood supply to the kidney has been properlyrestored. Besides the known benefits of robotic minimally-invasive surgery --including smaller incisions, less blood loss, less postoperativepain, shorter hospital stays, and earlier returns to work -- theaddition of the Firefly system can improve patient outcomes evenfurther. "Additionally, the ability to better distinguish between tumortissue and normal kidney tissue may lead to a lower risk of leavingany tumor behind, and therefore better long-term cancercontrol," said Dr. Kowalczyk. According to the American Cancer Society, kidney cancer is amongthe 10 most common cancers among both men and women. The ACSestimates that about 64,770 new cases of kidney cancer will occurin 2012, and about 13,570 people will die from the disease. "I'm so glad I was able to keep my kidney," said Mr.Carter. "Without this new system, my kidney might not havebeen able to be saved.". I am an expert from ledspot-lightbulbs.com, while we provides the quality product, such as China Fluorescent Writing Board , China Flexible Led Strip Lights, Recessed Ceiling Lights,and more.
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