Inside Duke Medicine
New interventional vascular suite opens
posted February 2nd, 2010
The Durham Regional Interventional Vascular Team (from left): Tim Pulliam, Raby Allsbrook, Henry Steves, Kathy Willis, Paula Allen and Greg Thon (Radiology Director).
The Durham Regional Hospital Radiology Department celebrated the opening of its new Interventional Vascular Suite with a ribbon cutting and open house on Thursday, Jan. 28.
The new suite, on the hospital’s second floor, features a Philips Allura Xper FD20 flexible flat X-ray system – patients lie on a bed as the low-dose X-ray scanner rotates. The system provides the full spectrum of interventional radiology procedures with pre and post-procedural evaluation, and these procedures are generally easier for the patient because they involve no large incisions, less risk, less pain and shorter recovery times.
“Instead of having to get five or six injections of dye, a patient only needs to get one injection,” said interventional technician Raby Allsbrook, as he demonstrated how the machine displays a three-dimensional view of blood vessels. On screen, he rotated the view for a full scan of an aneurysm, explaining that this functionality gives surgeons a more complete visualization of where the need is to operate.
In addition to 3-D imaging, the new system can show the advance of guide wire, catheter and coils during vascular interventions, as well as real-time needle guidance for biopsies and drainages, said Greg Thon, Radiology director. The FD20 bed also accommodates patients up to 550 pounds, meaning more of the hospital’s bariatric patients can be served by the new suite.
Durham Regional has four interventional radiologists and one physician assistant.
Elsewhere in the hospital, an open house on Feb. 9 will celebrate the renovated and expanded Emergency Department. In March, the Radiology Department will unveil the first of two new CT suites.