New cutting edge equipment – in total worth $255 million – is being installed at the upcoming MUHC superhospital, which is now 98 percent complete.
The 28,000 pieces of equipment include a device known as a cyber knife, which can shrink tumours through radioactive beams, thereby making invasive incision unnecessary.
“They deliver energy to the tumour and by delivering energy they will break up the DNA, the molecules will break up and the tumour will shrink,” said Director Of Medical Physics Dr. Jan Seuntjens.
Another slick device that will be put to good use is known as a ZeeGo robotic arm in the interventional radiology suite, a machine which can do a 3D body scan in under 10 seconds.
“We already have these kinds of machines but this is the next generation, the advantage is that it’ll let us treat patients faster, more accurately, with more precision. We’ll do everything we do today but better faster, safer and cheaper,” said Radiologist Dr. David Valenti.
The 832 beds in the MUHC hospital network (500 of them at the superhospital) represent 100 fewer than are currently available at current MUHC facilities but more beds are in single rooms and that is expected to lower infections.
The new technology is expected to allow for more outpatient procedures, thus decreasing the need for beds.
“Yes there are fewer beds and that's an issue but the trend in the last decade is to move toward more and more outpatient therapy and that's because the tech is improving,” said Radiologist Dr. David Valenti.
The high-tech machinery will translate into fewer surgical interventions.
“The treatments are much less invasive then they used to be. Much less pain, much faster recovery and much lower risk for many of these procedures,” said Vascular Surgeon Dr. Oren Steinmetz.
