– That I should be sitting here without lasting but a couple of months afterwards is quite incredible. Øystein Røstum is back at Stavanger University Hospital (SUS), where a few months ago he underwent surgery for a broken neck using new, advanced robotic technology. It was the new CT robot at the hospital, which is currently the only one of its kind in Norway, that was used during the operation. – I don’t dare think about where I would have been if it hadn’t been here. Clemens Weber shows Øystein Røstum what happened when he broke his neck. Photo: Hanne Høyland / news Broken neck on ski trip Røstum and some friends were on a weekend trip in Sirdal in Rogaland. Sunday was to be spent on the ski track, before they were later to watch a football match on TV. They didn’t get that far. He says that the snow was extra hard that day. Suddenly one of his skis slipped out of the track. – I went straight to the front of the crowd, and immediately felt that something was wrong. When he was about to raise his head, nothing happened. It would appear that he had broken his neck. There is only one of this type of machine in the country. Photo: Hanne Høyland / news Enormously important technology – A year ago we would have had to make a large opening in the neck and loosen the entire neck muscles. It is much more traumatizing for the patient. Clemens Weber is a senior physician at the neurosurgery department and performed the operation at Røstum. He explains that the previous operating method has several disadvantages for the patient. Chief physician Clemens Weber appreciates the new technology. Photo: Hanne Høyland / Hanne Høyland – It causes much more pain afterwards, you bleed much more, spend longer in hospital and are more prone to infections. During back surgery, screws are often inserted into the vertebra. These must be inserted directly into the vortex. In order to have full control over where the screws were inserted, in the old way you had to loosen all the muscles from the vertebrae to get to them. – With a navigation system, the screws can now be inserted through small sections. With the help of the new CT robot in the operating room, the doctors now have a very accurate tool, which can be compared to a GPS. On a screen, they can follow the instruments being used, with an accuracy of one to two millimeters. Navigation systems like this are common in brain surgery, but using this type of machine in spinal surgery is quite new. Every week, on average, one to two people are operated on with the new robot in Stavanger. Photo: Hanne Høyland / news Professionals at the hospital refer to the treatment as revolutionary, and Weber can announce that the results so far have been very good. – With the old method, the screws were wrong after up to 5 percent of the operations. Of the 120 operations we have had so far, there is not a single one where we have had to operate again because of implants that were wrong. These minimal interventions are absolutely the future. Back on his feet the day after the operation Øystein Røstum feels lucky to have been operated on with the new technology. – I think more and more about how lucky I am, when I now realize how extensive the damage actually was and how short a time it took before I was well again. Øystein Røstum is only left with a couple of scars and a numb index finger after breaking his neck. Photo: Hanne Høyland / news Already the day after the operation, he was up and walking on his own machine, without a neck collar. The operation was on a Sunday, and Røstum was sent home the following Tuesday. – Four weeks later I was back at full time work, and a couple of months after that I was back in full training. Now I run and do strength training as usual, without pain. I think ethics will be most important going forward – We are experiencing changes in guidelines and new treatment options appearing at record speed. Nils Christian Tvedt Karlsen is the specialist doctor for the digital learning platform for healthcare personnel, MedEasy. He explains that in his job of educating tomorrow’s healthcare personnel, he has a responsibility to keep up with what is happening with new technology and treatment. Nils Christian Tvedt Karlsen is an optimist and loves new technology, but at the same time sees scary shadows in the sea in the medical field. Photo: Privat – Much of what I learned at medical school ten years ago is completely wrong today, as a result of new knowledge. There is no such thing as “completely educated” anymore. Karlsen himself is fond of new technology, and cites the corona pandemic as an example. – The development of mRNA vaccines during the pandemic is a recent example of how innovations can be used for the good of society at record speed. Nevertheless, there are not exclusively positive consequences of the rapid development, the doctor believes, and points to AI technology as a field that should be tread carefully. – I think medical ethics will be the most important field in the next ten years. Someone has to apply the brakes when required. What is possible does not always correspond to what is right. Published 27.06.2024, at 13.45
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Øystein was operated on with new robotic technology – was back on his feet the day after breaking his neck – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
