St. Rita’s brings neurosurgery technology to region.
Neurosurgeries and neurology treatments previously unavailable in Lima now are, thanks to a commitment by Mercy Health – St. Rita’s Medical center for new technology and providers.
Thomasz Jankowski, director of St. Rita’s Neuroscience Institute, and Dr. Mario Ammirati, chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery and surgical director of the Neuroscience Institute, spoke to Lima Rotary Club Monday about the advanced procedures now happening in Lima.
Many in the region had previously traveled to Columbus for brain and spine surgeries performed by Ammirati. He agreed to move to Lima with Mercy’s commitment to needed resources and technology, such as a new operating microscope and computer-guided technology that uses GPS data to direct surgeons “like a fighter pilot,” Ammirati said. More technology, such as intraoperative CT scanning and functional MRIs, is on the way.
Since April, the Neurosurgery Department has done 59 surgeries, including removing 20 tumors from the brain and spine, Ammirati said. Previously, these surgeries were not happening in Lima, but now “the capability is second to none in the region, and it’s because we have built a robust infrastructure for it,” Ammirati said.
The Neuroscience Institute provides care for a wide range of diseases and injuries affecting the brain, spine and nervous system, Jankowski said. The development of the institute means not only a quickly ramped-up improvement in services and clinicians, but also the ability to contribute to research and studies, Jankowski said.
In other Rotary business Monday, Guiding Light Ministries received a Lima Rotary Foundation grant for $2,500, and foundation President Jeff Fitzgerald reported several other contributions, including $1,500 to Barbers Give Bikes, $2,500 to MESA, and about $2,500 for the Dictionary Distribution.
