BK BLOG

Mr. Somaiah Aroori, MB BS, MS (Surg), FRCS (Gen Surg) is a consultant hepatobiliary and renal transplant surgeon at Derriford Hospital and University Hospital Plymouth in the UK. He has more than 10 years of experience in the use of intraoperative ultrasound for HPB and general surgery. University Hospital Plymouth treats many patients with benign and malignant lesions in the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder.

When performing a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, intraoperative ultrasound (iUS) is a good alternative to intraoperative cholangiography because it provides a fast, safe, and repeatable means of visualizing the procedure, with clear details and soft tissue delineation. Read on to learn more about the uses and benefits of laparoscopic intraoperative ultrasound when compared with other methods.

Unlike intraoperative cholangiography, iUS is non-radiating, which helps reduce radiation hazards to patients and staff. iUS has also been shown to be completed more rapidly than IOC, with one study reporting a laparoscopic ultrasound duration of 9.8 minutes versus 17.6 minutes for IOC.¹

Whether you are performing open or minimally invasive surgery, intraoperative ultrasound (iUS) provides real-time visualization when you need it most.

When you are looking for a way to visualize anatomy and guide your procedure during laparoscopic hepatobiliary surgeries, use real-time active imaging. The combination of intraoperative imaging and BK Medical’s new Advanced Laparoscopic Transducer (I13C3f*) helps guide your procedures and support decision-making. Designed with an ergonomic handle, the fully sterilizable transducer features Smart Button™ for complete control, dual needle channels, and integrated needle guidance for biopsy and ablation. Overall, the Advanced Laparoscopic Transducer is designed for enhanced visualization and guidance in laparoscopic hepatobiliary procedures.

Neurosurgeons need clear, real-time imaging during neurosurgical and spine procedures. It is important to have a solution that offers visual guidance to support decision-making at every stage of the procedure.

Dr. Edward A. Duckworth, MD, MS, FAANS is Director of Neurosurgery for St. Luke’s Health System. He is an intracranial-focused neurosurgeon with fellowship training in cerebrovascular and cranial base surgery, as well as in endovascular neurosurgery and interventional neuroradiology.

Hepatobiliary and general surgeons need clear visibility during open surgery and minimally invasive surgery. It is important to have a guidance tool that enables critical decision-making at every stage of their procedures.

"Ultrasound is very important for tumor resection because of brain shift and the need to see residual tumor and the tumor border."

Recently, we introduced you to Prof. Geirmund Unsgård, Professor Emeritus of Neurosurgery at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). We have talked with Prof. Unsgård about using intraoperative ultrasound in neurosurgery and how the use of intraoperative ultrasound can help account for brain shift during neurosurgery. Today, we are talking with Professor Unsgård about the visualization and planning of tumor resection surgeries.

There is a better chance of successful treatment of prostate cancer when it is detected early and confined to the prostate gland.¹ Increasingly, multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) is being recommended before biopsy as part of a prostate cancer pathway.² Compared with TRUS-biopsy, mpMRI has significantly better sensitivity and negative predictive value for clinically important prostate cancer.² If used as a triage test before first prostate biopsy, mpMRI could reduce unnecessary biopsies by a quarter; mpMRI could also reduce over-diagnosis of clinically insignificant prostate cancer and improve detection of clinically significant cancer.²

Recently, we spoke with Dr. Jos J. Immerzeel, the radiation oncologist at Andros Mannenkliniek (The Andros Men’s Health Institutes) in Amsterdam. Dr. Immerzeel uses bkFusion to plan and guide transperineal prostate biopsies using local anesthesia, which you can read about here.

For Dr. Immerzeel, an MR-ultrasound fusion biopsy using bkFusion takes approximately 20 minutes, and patients usually spend less than an hour at the clinic. One reason for the short procedure time is that the MRI contours have been done beforehand, so the patient spends very little time on the table.