High-tech equipment

O-arm: intraoperative CT-scan

It goes without saying that surgical operations of the spinal column must be executed with the greatest accuracy. To this end, the neurosurgery department of the OLV Hospital in Aalst continuously invests in high-tech equipment, which ensures the best possible result and a quick recovery to patients.

A wrongly inserted screw can lead to severe damage. The O-arm can prevent this.

In case of fractures or when vertebrae lack stability, it may be necessary to insert screws in the vertebrae. This is a delicate procedure requiring maximum precision.

Previously, X-rays were used to determine the location of the screw. But X-rays in one or two directions are not always accurate and even less so if the spinal column is deformed.

The O-arm warrants the required precision by making three-dimensional images of the vertebrae during the operation.

The machine is placed all around the patient and makes images as in a CT-scan. But the machine does more than that. It also enables to insert screws in a computer-controlled way with a very high degree of precision.

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