Week 5 Liz Technology in the Hospital

Now that I have been in the hospital setting for five weeks, i am beginning to understand the timeline of a patient with a tumor. I am beginning to understand how pathologist work with surgeons and oncologists to confirm diagnosis and to decide on the best treatment options. I am appreciating the witty humor that keeps the Operating Room atmosphere calm in an otherwise tense situation.

I am also seeing how huge a role technology plays in diagnostics and in surgery. MRI images, such as the one pictured to the left, are vital to clinicians. These images alert Clinicians to a problem. Post-operatively, these images allow them to monitor therapeutic treatments. I have seen these interactions take place during the Multidisciplinary Brain Tumor Board where MRI and histology images are vital to the discussion of a patients care plan.

Surgeons use these images to ensure they are making incisions in the correct place, usually checking the MRI image beforehand or during surgery. there is also Brain Lab, an image guided software that co-registers probes placed on the brain with previous MRI/X-ray images.