Â鶹AV

Providing improved diagnosis and treatment for patients

Accuracy is everything when moving through the tiniest blood vessels in the brain — a difference of 2 mm can mean life or death for the patient. This minuscule distance will be easier to assess thanks to new technology available at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (the Neuro), part of the Â鶹AV Health Centre (MUHC), which recently opened its doors to a new Angiography Suite. This facility houses Quebec's only biplanar angiogram that can fuse MRI images to produce a three-dimensional map of the brain and blood vessels. This new technology will provide improved diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the nervous system, including brain tumours, stroke, aneurysms and other vascular malformations.

"We are providing the gold standard of care to our patients," says Dr. David Colman, Director, the Neuro. "They now have access to the best technology in the world. This has been our tradition — the first PET, CT and MRI machines in Canada were here at the Neuro. We will continue to strive to provide the best interventional and neurosurgical procedures available."

Dr. Donatella Tampieri, Director of Neuroradiology, says that the new GE LCN biplane angiogram will provide an accurate view of the size and shape of blood vessels in the brain, crucial for treating stroke, brain injury or aneurysms. "With this facility we are able to obtain rapid and more detailed data, allowing for better treatment decisions, shorter procedure times and overall better care for our patients."

Importantly, this new technology also helps to put the patients at ease. They can take a virtual tour of their blood vessels and brain structures, enabling them to understand the procedure and the intricacies involved in their treatment.

The construction of this new facility was made possible by donations from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital and the Royal Victoria Hospital Foundation.

The Â鶹AV Health Centre (MUHC) is a comprehensive academic health institution with an international reputation for excellence in clinical programs, research and teaching. The MUHC is a merger of five teaching hospitals affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at Â鶹AV — the Montreal Children's, Montreal General, Royal Victoria, and Montreal Neurological Hospitals, as well as the Montreal Chest Institute. Building on the tradition of medical leadership of the founding hospitals, the goal of the MUHC is to provide patient care based on the most advanced knowledge in the healthcare field, and to contribute to the development of new knowledge.

The Montreal Neurological Institute is a Â鶹AV research and teaching institute, dedicated to the study of the nervous system and neurological diseases. Founded in 1934 by the renowned Dr. Wilder Penfield, the MNI is one of the world's largest institutes of its kind. MNI researchers are world leaders in cellular and molecular neuroscience, brain imaging, cognitive neuroscience and the study and treatment of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and neuromuscular disorders. The MNI, with its clinical partner, the Montreal Neurological Hospital (MNH), part of the MUHC, continues to integrate research, patient care and training, and is recognized as one of the premier neuroscience centres in the world.