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Doctors hope new tech makes W. Mich a medical destination

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Doctors hope that new technology at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital will make West Michigan a regional destination for high-risk brain and spine surgeries.

Spectrum Health, who runs the hospital, is the only provider in West Michigan and one of only 40 across the country to have the new technology.

Starting this month, the IMRI--Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging--technology will be available to adult and pediatric patients.

The multi-million dollar equipment makes it possible to move a patient from the operating table to the imaging machine before closing the patient back up.

"So if the MRI showed there were significant amount of tumor left, you could go ahead and continue to take that tumor out, get as much of a resection as possible," said Dr. Todd Vitaz, Director of Neurosurgical Oncology and Skull Base Surgery. "It may save the patient another procedure, it may save them radiation."

Doctors say it will also lower risks of infections and blood clots, and be less expensive in the long run.

People who live in West Michigan previously had to travel to Detroit or Chicago for certain operations, but with this technology, they can now stay close to home.