Contacts:

Spine Center Coordinator (Emily Richards), 360.514.BACK
Stroke Program Coordinator (Lisa Pickens), 360.514.3273

What makes the Brain and Spine Center at Southwest Washington Medical Center exceptional?

• All digital CT and MRI scanners that provide the most advanced images to help physicians quickly and effectively diagnose disease.
   
• Physicians, nurses, imaging, and support staff that know the importance of communication in coordinating the best care possible.
   

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• A comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation center for brain and spine conditions that will help get you back on your feet as soon as possible. The center is certified by the Rehabilitation Accreditation Commission (CARF).
   
• A Spine Care Coordinator who can help you navigate the several specialties and find a solution that's right for you, including physical therapy, pain services or spine surgery.
   
• A Primary Stroke Center recognized by the American Stroke Association for turning guidelines into lifelines. (Gold Award for the "Get with the Guidelines" program.)
   
• A fully-certified Primary Stroke Center. Southwest has one of only six accredited programs in Washington State.

What also makes the Brain and Spine Center at Southwest exceptional is having the most advanced life-saving technologies, such as:

• CyberKnife sterotactic radiosurgery which uses precisely targeted beams of radiation while giving minimal damage to surrounding tissue. It can be an option for treating many brain and spine conditions. CyberKnife may also be an option for those who have reached their maximum lifetime dose of radiation.
   
• Brain surgery with the patient sedated but awake during surgery. If the tumor is located in an area of the brain that is very important to function, the neurosurgeon can actually map out the brain in that area and take out the tumor in the safest way possible, reducing the chance of loss of nerve function, or reducing the amount of loss if loss is not avoidable.
   
• Stealth Neuronavigation System allows precise mapping of a brain tumor for precise surgery. This enables neurosurgeons to also biopsy tumors that are located in deeper parts of the brain.
   
• Using ultrasound imaging in the surgery suite enables real-time imaging during surgery. After a tumor is removed, neurosurgeons can use the ultrasound to see if there is any tumor tissue left. They can immediately remove any residual material, making the surgery much more successful. Only a few years ago, the surgeons and patients would have to wait until a follow up MRI scan of the brain is done to reassess any left-over tumor and the perhaps return to surgery if a large amount is still present.
   
• Intraoperative neurodiagnostics, or monitoring brain or spinal cord activity during surgery. An example of this technology is somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) where spinal cord nerve function can be monitored. Neurosurgeons can stimulate the brain and make arms and legs move in what is called intraoperative motor evoked potentials. This technology can be very helpful when operating on spinal cord tumors. It makes the operation very safe and reduces the chance of giving the patient a spinal cord injury or paralysis.