The Neurosurgery team at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center is using the latest treatments and technologies to provide a high level of care close to home.
Curve™ Image-Guided Surgery is being used for advanced neurosurgery procedures. Curve™, by BrainLab, provides surgeons with better guidance and control during surgery to enable less invasive, more precise and safer procedures, giving patients better outcomes and a faster recovery.
“Spinal navigation is primarily offered at large hospitals, which limits patient access,” says Dr. John P. Lynes. “Having this technology locally allows us to provide our patients with a higher level of care closer to home. With better visualization of the surgical site, incisions can be minimized, critical structures, such as blood vessels and nerves, are better protected, and overall outcomes improve.”
Curve™ Image-Guided Surgery displays 3D images of the patient’s anatomy based on CT, MRI, and other types of scans. Utilizing touch-screen monitors and two infrared cameras, surgeons are able to track the patient’s exact position on the operating table relative to the surgeon’s instruments.
“Like a GPS for the spine, this technology lets us [surgeons] know exactly where we are at all times. It’s an incredibly powerful ‘surgical sixth sense,’ allowing us to reliably place and double check screws during procedures, such as lumbar fusions. This precise tracking helps us keep the patient safer and makes surgery more efficient,” says Dr. David A. Weiner.
“There are many ways we work to improve the health of our community,” says Julie Billingsley, Director, Patient Care Services, Orthopedics & Neurosciences at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center. “That’s why we continue to add new, advanced technologies that help our surgeons offer less invasive, better coordinated and safer care.”
To learn more go to sentara.com/medicalservices/services/neurosciences/neurosurgery
The cat was under confinement with Stafford Animal Control when it became aggressive. There were confirmed human exposures through bites or scratches from the cat. These individuals were advised to obtain rabies post-exposure preventive treatment from the local hospital Emergency Department to prevent the development of human rabies.
The Health Department is notifying the public in case any people or pets may have had contact with this cat. Any individuals exposed/potentially exposed to this cat should seek medical advice promptly from their healthcare provider to evaluate whether rabies prevention medication is needed. Individuals may also contact the Stafford County Environmental Health Office at 540-288-9018.
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Mary Washington Hospital ranks among the Top 5 in Virginia for Joint Replacement according to a new analysis released by Healthgrades, the marketplace connecting doctors and patients. To determine this year's State Ranking recipients, Healthgrades evaluated clinical performance for nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide focusing on 18 specialties across a mix of chronic, urgent, and surgical areas.
"This recognition celebrates the commitment to excellence demonstrated by the physicians and staff who care for our orthopedic patients every day," said Mike McDermott, MD, President and CEO of Mary Washington Healthcare. "The dedication of our joint replacement clinical leadership is reflected in this recognition, ranking joint replacement at MWH as one of the elite programs in the state." Hospitals recognized as among the top 5 in their state by Healthgrades are providing patients with consistently better-than expected clinical outcomes. Patients treated at hospitals receiving a state ranking for Joint Replacement have, on average, a 62.5% lower risk of experiencing a complication while in the hospital than if they were treated in hospitals that were not ranked for Joint Replacement. "Being recognized as one of the top 5 in Virginia for Joint Replacement is a tremendous achievement that speaks to Mary Washington Hospital's ongoing commitment to high-quality care. Hospitals receiving a #5 ranking in their state have a proven track record of delivering superior outcomes for the patients in their community," said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Data Science, Healthgrades. Bowman added, "For almost 25 years, our mission has been to provide consumers with clear and accessible information to make more informed healthcare decisions. Patients can feel confident knowing that they have access to top-ranked care for Joint Replacement at Mary Washington Hospital." In October, Mary Washington Hospital was also recognized by Healthgrades with a Five-Star Distinction in Total Knee Replacement for a 7th year in a row (2017-2023) and Five-Star Distinction Total Hip Replacement for an 8th year in a row (2016-2023). Consumers can visit healthgrades.com for more information on how Healthgrades measures hospital quality and access the complete methodology here. Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for 2019 through 2021 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients. Mary Washington Hospital is at 1001 Sam Perry Boulevard in Fredericksburg.
Mary Washington Healthcare (MWHC) and Rappahannock Area Health District (RAHD) are seeing signs that the flu season may be worse than in recent years. More people are seeking care in emergency rooms and urgent care centers for influenza-like illness. RAHD has seen multiple outbreaks of confirmed and suspected influenza in schools and other settings across the district. Both MWHC and RAHD are urging residents to follow precautions to slow the spread of influenza and other respiratory illnesses.
"We have already seen large flu outbreaks locally, which is unusual this early in November," said Olugbenga Obasanjo, MD, Health Director at RAHD. "The actions we were taking to protect against COVID-19 for the past two years also protected against the flu. Because of the low spread of flu for the last two years, people do not have the immunity built up to provide protection against the influenza virus, which is part of the reason we are already seeing increased flu activity this year."
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RSV is a contagious, common virus that usually causes cold-like symptoms for most children. In years past, it has led to more severe problems with premature babies or those under age 2 with chronic heart or breathing issues.
But as medical providers, parents and educators in the Fredericksburg area and beyond have discovered this fall, respiratory viruses aren't acting the way they usually do.
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Officials at Stafford High School say they are seeing a decline in absences as they continue to work to mitigate the spread of anillness outbreak that struck the campus.
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A public meeting will be held Thursday, November 9, at the existing senior center, 13850 Church Hill Drive, just off Prince William Parkway, at 1 p.m. It's one of two meetings the government has held to solicit feedback about the new center.
So far, the county has not released conceptual drawings of a new center, said where it could be built, or what amenities it would include. All of that is expected to be unveiled at a Board of County Supervisors meeting in December.
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Updated 4 p.m. -- Nearly 700 students were absent today from classes at Stafford High School.
School officials say may students tested positive for influenza, and reported gastrointestinal issues. The latter may be due to a separate illness, said school division spokeswoman Sandra Osborn.
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Lateef will serve as the Board's chairman of the Board overseeing operations at UVA Prince William Medical Center in Manassas, UVA Haymarket Medical Center, outpatient clinics in our area, as well as other large UVA medical centers, UVA Medical Center in Charlottesville, and the School of Medicine and Nursing.
Lateef is a board-certified ophthalmologist and has owned Advanced Ophthalmology, Inc., since 2002, in Manassas and Woodbridge. He's also served as the Prince William County School Board Chairman At-large since 2018, and he's expected to seek another four-year term in 2023.
