PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – A new high-tech tool is helping patients breathe easier, and a South Florida doctor is one of the first to use it.
This week’s Healthcast takes a closer look at how 4-D imaging is revolutionizing a well-known procedure.
Jim Williams runs his own aviation business, but it’s not work stress that keeps him awake at night— it’s sleep apnea and clogged sinuses. For many years, sleeping has felt like torture for Williams.
“It gets to the point where the post-nasal drip and the inability to draw air into my lungs... it’s almost like waterboarding on a consistent basis,” Williams said.
Williams’ problems began with a broken nose from playing high school football, which altered the anatomy of his nasal passages, leaving them unable to drain properly.
A few weeks ago, he underwent a balloon sinuplasty, a procedure to enlarge the sinus openings and improve drainage.
At Florida Sinus and Snoring Specialists, Dr. Lee Mandel is enhancing this procedure with new 4-D imaging.
“This type of image guidance is invaluable in keeping patients safe,” said Mandel. “We are operating right next to the eye, right by the brain, right in front of the carotid artery. These are dangerous areas and you really want to know where you are at all times.”
With the new technology, Mandel said he can now pinpoint with accuracy exactly where to thread the catheters and make the necessary adjustments. The computer-generated images provide a perfect roadmap.
It all starts with a frame placed over the patient’s head to take a detailed picture.
“Now, what that picture does is take thousands upon thousands of spots along the patient’s anatomy, feeds it into the computer which gives us incredibly accurate navigation during the procedure,” Mandel said.
According to Mandel, this technology allows for a quicker procedure with better outcomes.
“I could breathe the air in and just say wow!” said Williams.
“The 4-D imaging is a game changer for doctors and patients like Jim,” said Mandel.
“This is two weeks post-surgery and I feel better now than I have in a long time... motivated and I feel rested when I wake up. Still working on snoring, but I am not 100% healed. I am light years from where I was two weeks ago,” added Williams.
Mandel also notes that 4-D imaging can be used for other procedures, such as the removal of tumors.