July 6, 2007, Meriden, Conn.

Until a year ago, Dr. Nilesh Vasan had to rely on only what his naked eye could see when performing sinus surgery at MidState Medical Center. Now he performs his surgery using new technology that provides a 3-D image during the procedure.

The imaging technology, GE Instatrak VTI System, aids in the procedure by acting as a visual guide, essentially making the surgery more thorough. During sinus surgery, telescopes and other medical instruments are inserted into the nose endoscopically, and doctors must be careful not to injure surrounding structures such as the eyes, brain, and other major vessels. The imaging helps Dr. Vasan avoid those areas.

“It’s comparable to a GPS system on a car, if you think of it like that,” said Dr. Vasan. This cutting-edge technology has the ability to image the patient’s nasal structure, while simultaneously monitoring what is being done during the surgery in real time. The equipment’s ability to capture the procedure in real time makes it similar to a CT scan, said Dr. Vasan.

The result is a reduction in two of the most common risk factors of surgery that include eye injury and a cerebral spinal fluid leak—a medical term indicating injury to the brain. The added safety is one of the imaging equipment’s greatest advantages.

Most patients who need to undergo sinus surgery have a history of sinusitis, presenting with severe, long-term allergies and recurrent use of allergy medications, difficulty smelling, and even excessive snoring due to nasal blockage. Nasal polyps or tumors are usually the culprit of such blockages, said Dr. Vasan.

Crystal Menker knows first-hand the symptoms that accompany nasal polyps. She has had them for the past three years, making smelling virtually impossible for her. Although she had surgery to remove the polyps in 2004 at an Arizona hospital, her polyps returned shortly thereafter.

In fact, the doctor was unable to remove all of her polyps with surgery. “During my first post-operative appointment, he looked in and saw one still there,” said Crystal. Her second surgery at MidState Medical Center, however, has proven more successful.

“Dr. Vasan told me that my polyps were up against my skull all the way at the back of the sinus,” said Crystal. The new navigation system made it possible to remove more polyps and get further inside the nasal cavity, as a result of being able to see better. And the use of the technology means that the results will last longer, she said.

A vast majority of patients note that the procedure makes for a more comfortable post-operative experience as well. “I had a much better recovery,” said Crystal. Usually the surgery entails packing the nose, but because this surgery is less invasive, it is unnecessary.

“It was the worst pain I’ve ever felt,” commenting on her first surgical experience. This was not the case with her MidState surgery.

And only two weeks after surgery Crystal said, “I’m already starting to regain my smell.”

The imaging device is especially helpful for patients who have had previous surgeries resulting in removal of some of the nasal structures, said Dr.Vasan. The real-time images help the surgeon understand where to work when the usual pathways have been altered.

In the case of benign or malignant tumors, the imaging device provides the opportunity to remove the whole tumor at the time of surgery. Doctors can be more aggressive in removing tumors, whereas prior to the use of the technology, doctors had to be cautious about destroying the healthy tissue surrounding a tumor, said Dr. Vasan.

The endoscopic nature of this procedure means that it is less invasive, with instruments being inserted in the nose rather than cutting the structure externally. MidState had been performing sinus surgery endoscopically before the arrival of the imaging technology.

Doctors began using the imaging technology in the late 1980’s for neurosurgery purposes, but it wasn’t until the 1990’s that ear, nose, and throat doctors began using the equipment.

“Its usage has really been increasing over the past two years,” said Dr. Vasan.

Dr. Vasan is an otolaryngologist who practices with The Southern New England Ear, Nose, Throat, and Facial Plastic Surgery Group LLP.

About MidState

In quarterly patient satisfaction surveys (conducted by an independent, national research company), MidState consistently rates among the top hospitals in Connecticut and the nation. Conveniently located just minutes off Rte. 691 in Meriden, CT, MidState offers free and safe parking, as well as private inpatient rooms. Services include general surgery, emergency medicine, MidState Medical Group Walk-in Center for urgent care needs, and state-of-the-art care in centers dedicated to Cancer Care, Wound and Hyperbaric Care, Family Birthing, Sleep Care, Digestive Health, Pain Management, and Cardiac Care.

For information, call 203 694 8200, or visit www.midstatemedical.org.

To find a MidState Doctor, call: 1 866 MMC 5678