New Surgical Option for Spectrum Health Epilepsy Patients a First in West Michigan

ROSA™ robotic arm allows surgeons access to the deepest areas of the brain

Spectrum Health is the first health system in West Michigan and among the first in the nation to offer patients ROSA™, an advanced option for neurosurgery.

ROSA is a surgeon-directed robotic arm designed to assist during brain surgery. The use of ROSA improves accuracy and can significantly reduce total surgery time, including the time a patient is under general anesthesia.

The robot can be used for cranial procedures requiring precise positioning and handling of instruments. The ROSA™ robotic device was designed to increase the safety and reliability of various neurological procedures without compromising established surgical protocols. ROSA™ is an integrated multi-application console that acts as a reliable and accurate surgical assistant.

“Robotic technology is at the forefront of the next generation of surgical treatments for epilepsy,” said Sanjay Patra, MD, MSc, neurosurgeon, Spectrum Health Medical Group. “With these new technologies, we are accessing the deepest areas of the brain and expanding treatment of neurological disorders.”

ROSA can be used to assist with implanting electrodes that map regions of the brain affected by seizures. Additional applications of ROSA include placing electrodes for deep brain stimulation in patients with diseases like Parkinson’s, taking biopsies in critical, hard-to-access areas of the brain, and using the Visualase® laser ablation system to destroy tissue in areas of the brain where seizures or tumors originate.

“An important capacity provided by the ROSA technology will be our ability to unite a number of technologies to achieve improved patient outcomes,” said Kost Elisevich, MD, PhD, neurosurgeon, co-chair department of clinical neurosciences, chief, division of neurosurgery, Spectrum Health Medical Group. “These include utilization of additional tools such as Visualase, iMRI and advanced 3D neuroimaging.”

Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging technology or iMRI enables a surgeon to promptly confirm progress during surgery. The iMRI provides feedback during the procedure indicating critical areas near the tumor that need to be avoided and helping surgeons confirm that as much of the tumor as possible has been removed. Visualase® provides precise MRI-guided laser technology for thermal ablation of brain tumors that were previously impossible to reach due to their position in the brain.

The use of this technology enables most procedures to be completed in less time, minimal suturing and hair removal, reduced scarring and shorter hospital stays. Spectrum Health is the only provider in West Michigan to offer ROSA™, iMRI and Visualase®.