2014/15 University Hospital Foundation Annual Report: Supporting Worl | Page 8

Revolutionizing

Stroke

Intra-operative
MRI Research
When the Dan & Bunny Widney 3T

The moment a stroke occurs, brain cells begin to die – at a rate of

Intraoperative MRI Suite opened in 2012, it

two million per minute. Having a specialized stroke ambulance –

was hailed as the most advanced surgical
suite in the world, enabling brain surgeons

equipped with a fully operational CT scanner – will enable stroke

to take precise images of a patient’s brain

treatment to begin as soon as possible, vastly improving the stroke

during surgery.

patient’s chances not only of survival, but for complete recovery.

The suite is now home to a
groundbreaking research program that’s

Stroke is the one of the leading causes of disability in adults, and

advancing what is known about brain

the fourth leading cause of death in North America. That’s why

tracts, or pathways in the brain that are

the University Hospital Foundation’s Brain Centre Campaign is

used to convey messages.

committed to raising $3.3 million to fully fund the Stroke Ambulance

When the brain is exposed to air, as in

pilot project; to advance stroke patient care at the University of

surgery, MR images of the brain may

Alberta Hospital.

become distorted, sometimes to the
point of being unusable. With advanced
equipment and new sequences in MR
imaging, Dr. Cam Elliott, a neurosurgery
resident at the University of Alberta
Hospital and member of the research
team, hopes to minimize those changes.
“If we can show where the tracts are
moving, we’ll know exactly which areas
of the brain to stay away from. That will
result in better outcomes for patients,”
explains Dr. Elliott.

Watch & Learn
See the brain during surgery.

6

University Hospital Foundation
Annual Report 2014-2015