Transforming image-guided therapy procedures with Siemens Healthineers

Image-guided therapy

Imaging solutions supporting minimally invasive treatment

The healthcare market is driven by the need to enhance efficiency and efficacy. Delivering on both, minimally invasive solutions are changing the way healthcare can be provided to patients around the world. And the market is growing: The global population aged 60 and older is projected to reach nearly 2.1 billion by 2050, versus 962 million in 20171. The number of patients in all fields is increasing, so it’s important that new technologies continue to keep pushing what’s possible.

Image guided therapy (IGT) is already transforming the lives of patients across the globe. While screening programs enable healthcare providers to detect symptoms of life-threatening diseases early on and make the confident diagnostic decisions, they also need start treatment quickly. Interventional imaging systems can be used to support and guide medical procedures for precise treatment and faster patient recoveries.

At Siemens Healthineers, we support you by advancing and transforming how image-guided therapy is delivered today and how it will be delivered tomorrow. Our goal is to revolutionize care delivery for patients affected by coronary artery disease, stroke, liver and lung cancer, spinal disorder, and more. By continuing to develop technologies that can make high-value care more accessible and more cost-effective, we can support earlier disease detection, faster treatment processes and improved patient outcomes. Together, we can make a difference.

Image-guided therapy can be used to significantly improve a patient’s life by assisting in the treatment of a serious condition, such as a stroke or heart attack. Lower complication rates, faster recovery times, shorter hospital stays, lower risk of disability post treatment, and overall, a better quality of life are just some of the benefits patients can experience with minimally invasive treatment methods.

One such case where minimally invasive solutions, including image-guided therapy, were used to improve the treatment process of a patient is Frank’s case. At the request of a friend, Frank, a seemingly healthy middle-aged businessman, went for a cardio checkup at his local hospital. Despite maintaining a healthy diet, regular exercise regime and being a non-smoker, a coronary CT angiogram (CCTA) showed 90% occlusion in Frank’s right coronary artery. Luckily, this form of non-invasive imaging was enough to provide the doctors with the information they needed to successfully treat Frank and quickly get him on the road to recovery.

Stéphane’s case was more serious and urgent. After waking one morning and collapsing to the floor, he was unable to speak. His right side was paralyzed, and he had trouble talking. Due to the quick thinking and actions of his wife, the paramedics, and the hospital staff however, Stéphane was able to receive an emergency thrombectomy to treat a vascular occlusion. This quick diagnosis and treatment process prevented Stéphane from suffering any long-term stroke effects and ensured him a full recovery.

With many more examples of patient success stories like these, it’s clear how minimally invasive therapy is transforming patients’ lives and how medical procedures are done, effectively changing the way we look at disease diagnosis, prevention, and treatment for the better.

Striving to overcome the most threatening diseases. Together

To stay successful in meeting today’s challenges, hospitals are increasingly focusing on an interdisciplinary, disease-oriented setup across departmental borders. We want to support these institutions on this journey by being their partner along disease pathways with image-guided solutions.

Already today, we cover many clinical topics and tailor our radiology products and solutions along clinical pathways. With intelligent, digitally connected imaging solutions you can improve diagnostic accuracy, plan treatment options and guide minimally invasive therapy. With our focus towards the world’s major diseases including stroke, coronary artery disease, lung, and liver cancer, we are committed to supporting patients in every step of their journey.

Stroke: Imaging of the brain used for stroke diagnosis

Stroke

When it comes to a stroke, time is of the essence. Quickly recognising and reacting to visible signs of a stroke can greatly impact the patient’s outcome. Image-guided solutions can be key to treating stroke patients, transforming care delivery along the entire treatment pathway. From pre-hospital diagnosis and screening to in-hospital diagnosis and care, image-guided solutions can give medical practitioners the insight needed for making important decisions on all aspects of stroke treatment.

Coronary artery disease:  Imaging of the heart used for coronary artery diagnosis

Coronary artery disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the number one cause of death globally, with numbers rising every year. To help medical practitioners increase the life expectancy of their patients, Siemens Healthineers offers a wide portfolio of imaging solutions supporting minimally invasive therapies including the treatment of CAD.

Lung cancer: Imaging of the lungs used for cancer diagnosis

Lung cancer

Early stage lung cancer imposes challenges on therapy because of small targets and the natural deviation between accurate diagnostic findings and the situation during surgery, intervention or radiotherapy2. We provide imaging solutions supporting non- and minimally-invasive lung cancer therapy to face these challenges. Many factors are impacting clinical outcomes. However, our vision is to contribute with our technology to improve survival rates, less complications and a better quality of life of cancer patients.

Liver cancer: Imaging of the liver used for cancer diagnosis

Liver cancer

Every year, almost one million people around the world are diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma - the most common type of liver cancer. As a complex, multi-faceted disease, liver cancer can be difficult to treat, as treatment methods will depend on liver function levels and performance, as well as the progression stage of the tumor. Image-guided procedures can support the treatment of liver cancer by providing medical practitioners with digital image data for diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment planning in the early stages of detection, as well as guidance and support during care.

Spinal disorder: Imaging of the spine used for spinal disorder diagnosis

Spinal disorder

In spinal surgeries, minimally invasive implantations cannot be monitored based on eyesight alone, so high-quality interoperative imaging is crucial for precise outcomes with lower risk factors. Our imaging solutions provide 2D and 3D visualization to support you during image-guided spine surgery procedures. Combining intraoperative imaging with optical navigation can greatly boost surgical precision and help you reduce the radiation required for guidance even further.

Frequently asked questions

Image-guided therapy is a minimally invasive way to treat a wide range of medical diseases and conditions such as coronary artery disease, stroke, aneurysms, vascular malformations, vessel blockages and other vascular diseases. Using interventional imaging systems allows physicians and medical professionals to access areas that previously could not be treated without requiring a much more invasive approach.

Currently, image-guided therapy solutions are becoming more and more popular when it comes to diagnosing and treating patients. With cancer incidences on the rise in the last few years and new developments in technology allowing for earlier detection, the need for image-guided therapy (IGT) systems is expected to continue to rise.

As demand for IGT increases, the imaging technology supporting image-guided therapy is only going to further improve. With medtec providers like Siemens Healthineers regularly working closely with healthcare professionals, image-guided interventions can continuously be adapted to meet new treatment demands.

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