A significant tumor was entirely removed from the back of a 16-year-old boy from Jerusalem who had suffered from pain for an extended period, thanks to advanced technology introduced in Hadassah's operating rooms.
The PathKeeper system, developed in Israel by Dr. Josh Schroeder, head of the Spinal Deformities Surgery Department at the Hadassah Medical Organization, and his partner Erez Lampert, a top 3D medical imaging expert, enables surgeons to achieve maximum precision using a unique 3D camera mounted on a laser. This camera autonomously tracks all parts of the spine and vertebrae.
The teen recently came to Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem after “tests revealed a large, aggressive precancerous tumor, the size of a ping-pong ball, blocking the spinal canal and threatening paralysis,” Dr. Schroeder said. The surgical team was able to utilize the PathKeeper to maintain absolute precision during the operation to avoid damaging the teen’s spinal nerves.
"The only way to remove the tumor in these cases is through a long and complicated surgery," Dr. Schroeder said. "Spinal surgeries always carry a certain risk to the patient. Moreover, cancerous cells sometimes hide within the tumor, which cannot be detected beforehand."
The advanced system minimizes risks in spinal surgeries. It allows surgeons to see the surgical tools' precise location relative to the spine and nerves in real time, preventing the need for radiation-based imaging.
The PathKeeper was developed with support from Hadasit, the Hadassah Medical Organization’s innovation and commercialization company. Since 2019, Hadasit has assisted PathKeeper during its early stages, and the system was included in the first cohort of the Hadassah Accelerator, operated by IBM Alpha Zone. It has been approved by the FDA and the Israeli Ministry of Health.
"After four hours of surgery, we successfully removed the tumor in its entirety," Dr. Schroeder said. "The use of such advanced technologies at Hadassah allowed us to safely perform a surgery that could have been far more complex.”
According to head nurse Sahar Qusseini, the boy recovered successfully and showed significant improvement in the recovery ward. He was discharged just a few days later.
"Thanks to this innovative technology, his recovery was quick, allowing him to return home just in time for his brother's bar mitzvah," Dr. Schroeder said.
His father expressed relief, describing the family's ordeal that ended in the best possible way: "Our experience at Hadassah was excellent and humane. The staff treated us professionally and caringly, and my son is recovering well.”
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