Pioneering New Technology and Treatment Options for Brain Aneurysm Patients

Hackensack University Medical Center neurosurgeon employs minimally-invasive technologies to treat Vasospasm and other conditions in brain aneurysm patients

An early adopter of the TMINI miniature robotic system from Think Surgical, Inc., Hackensack University Medical Center’s Yair Kissin, M.D., will soon complete the institution’s 25th total knee replacement with the wireless, handheld system—which will then open the institution to train other orthopedic surgeons in the next-generation robotic surgery technology.

Unlike its much larger predecessors, the TMINI resembles the traditional handheld power drill instrumentation, but offers greater accuracy due to pre-procedure planning and in-surgery positioning guidance. Hackensack University Medical Center was an FDA trial site for the TMINI and is now the first hospital in New Jersey and the greater New York metropolitan area to bring the technology to clinical practice.

Hackensack University Medical Center is pioneering innovative minimally-invasive treatments for brain aneurysms, becoming one of only a few centers in the nation to offer cutting-edge technology and treatment options that provide brain aneurysm patients with new hope.

NeVa Device for Cerebral Vasospasm
Reza J. Karimi, M.D., director of Vascular Neurosurgery at Hackensack Meridian Neuroscience Institute at Hackensack University Medical Center and assistant professor of Neurosurgery at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, is the only neurosurgeon in the northeastern U.S. currently using non-invasive NeVa technology to treat vasospasm—a condition that causes arteries to narrow and reduce blood flow after bleeding in the brain due to a ruptured aneurysm.

“Cerebral vasospasm occurs in up to 20 percent of patients in the weeks following a brain aneurysm rupture and can lead to a potentially life-threatening stroke, so it’s crucial to explore new ways to manage this delayed complication,” said Dr. Karimi. “NeVa allows us to offer a minimally invasive treatment option to reduce stroke risk without the need for a more invasive surgical procedure.”

During the procedure, Dr. Karimi inserts the NeVa device into the narrowed artery for three minutes. Acting like a stent, the device gently stretches the artery for three minutes and then is removed. This minimally invasive approach is more effective and helps the vasospasm eventually resolve on its own.

“Our institute is the only one in the northeast to offer this treatment, and it contributes to our outstanding success rate of patients treated without surgery,” said Dr. Karimi.

Dr. Karimi and his team are among a select group of centers nationwide to participate in the Citadel Embolization Device study.

The trial is investigating the safety and effectiveness of the Citadel embolization device as a minimally invasive treatment option for unruptured and ruptured “wide-neck” aneurysms that traditionally require a stent or open surgery to clip, or cut off blood flow to, the aneurysm.

“For some patients, open surgery is risky due to age or other health conditions,” said Dr. Karimi. “We are looking at whether this device could open up a new treatment option for patients with brain aneurysms who are at high risk of complications related to open surgery.”

The ribbon-shaped Citadel device is inserted into the patient’s blood vessel through a small incision and guided to the aneurysm. After it is in place, it blocks blood flow to the aneurysm, causing it to shrink.

“In select cases, we may be able to treat wide aneurysms without the need for a stent or open surgery—which means our patients have a smaller incision, less pain, a lower risk of infection and a shorter recovery period,” said Dr. Karimi. “We were selected to participate in this trial because of our high level of expertise, our experience, and our track record of safety and outstanding outcomes, and we are proud to be able to offer this new option to our patients.”

Learn more about innovative neurological care at Hackensack University Medical Center.