Sinus Center of Niagara

Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center has added advanced technology from GE Medical Systems, the ENTrak Plus Surgical Navigation system, to make endoscopic surgeries safer and more effective.

The ENTrak Plus enables surgeons to see areas of a patient's sinuses and skull anatomy in more detail than ever before in addition to visualizing the exact position of surgical instruments during the procedure.

More than 300,000 people undergo a procedure called Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (ESS) each year in U.S. to repair sinus disorders. Candidates for the procedure include patients with chronic sinusitis, nasal polyps, failed nasal surgery, chronic sinus headaches and other sinus problems that may require surgical repair.

According to Dr. Parag Parikh, a specialist in ear, nose and throat care/head and neck surgery who practices in Niagara Falls with his father, Dr. Parmanand Parikh, the ENTrak Plus system will allow Memorial to provide better care to patients requiring ESS.

"Imagine it as a GPS system for the sinuses. It gives us three-dimensional, real time localization of polyps and tumors of the nose and sinuses," Dr. Parag Parikh said.

During ESS, an endoscope, which acts like a miniature telescope, illuminates the surgeon's view of the sinuses. But like a telescope, the endoscope only provides a view of the immediate surface area and does not allow the surgeon to see around corners. Because of the proximity of the sinuses to the eyes and brain, the ENTrak Plus can reduce the risks related to the procedure.

The surgeon can precisely see the position of surgical instruments and the movement of the instruments can be tracked in real time, allowing the surgeon to more accurately seek out and remove diseased tissue.

GE's ENTrak Plus Surgical Navigation system builds a computerized model of a patient's skull anatomy with computed tomography scans (CT or CAT scans) taken prior to surgery. These images displayed on a computer monitor provide a road map for the surgeon to follow.

The ENTrak Plus electromagnetic tracking system links the instruments used in the surgery to the system's computer. During surgery, the tip of the instrument inserted into the patient's nostrils appears on the computer monitor as a set of cross hairs that moves through the computerized model of the patient's skull. This allows the surgeon to see the exact location of the surgical instrument in relation to the patient's anatomy.

"It's like an orchestra – it coordinates," said Dr. Parmanand Parikh. "It adds an extra measure of safety."