Curing spinal-cord injury life’s goal for Ottawa surgeon

manouli · 06-14-2010, 11:30 AM

Curing spinal-cord injury life’s goal for Ottawa surgeon

Published: June 7th, 2010 | Source: ottawacitizen.com | Leave a Comment
OTTAWA-Dr. Eve Tsai has made a real name for herself with her work in the operating room and in the research lab, Matthew Pearson reports.

The tragedy of young lives altered forever by freak accidents or foolish mistakes drives Dr. Eve Tsai to find a cure for spinal-cord injuries.

The causes may vary from car crash to sports mishap, but the result is often the same: a lifetime of paralysis.

“This is something they’re going to have to live with for the rest of their lives and that seems like a huge burden, not only for the patients, but their families as well,” Tsai says.

“To be able to repair that and give people their lives back is really satisfying.”

Tsai specializes in complex surgeries, such as removing spinal tumours and treating spinal-cord injuries.

To aid in her efforts, she has developed an MRI imaging technique that allows surgeons to visualize spinal-cord nerve fibres and to see the difference between the healthy and damaged ones.

“This has allowed us to not only study and learn about these injuries, but also potentially lead to a roadmap in developing targeted therapies,” she says.

The Ottawa Hospital was the first hospital in the world to apply this technique and patients from around the world are being referred here to receive the treatment.

Tsai, who arrived at the hospital in 2006, performs between 200 and 300 surgeries a year.

While some last an hour, more complex operations can take up to 16 hours.

In addition to her long days in the operating room, Tsai is also actively engaged in research, but, she explains, that’s not as common as it once was as doctors all across the continent feel pressured to treat more patients and spend less time in the lab.

“I feel those pressures as well,” she admits.

“I guess the thing that drives me is that I really want to help the people now, but I also really want to help the people in the future, and, if we don’t play a role in the research, you’re not going to develop what needs to be developed to help people in the future.”

read....

http://www.thescizone.com/news/10043...ottawa-surgeon

Wise Young · 06-14-2010, 12:04 PM

That is great. We need dedicated doctors and researchers. Wise.

06-14-2010, 11:30 AM	#1
manouli Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: florida Posts: 9,336	Curing spinal-cord injury life’s goal for Ottawa surgeon Curing spinal-cord injury life’s goal for Ottawa surgeon Published: June 7th, 2010 \| Source: ottawacitizen.com \| Leave a Comment OTTAWA-Dr. Eve Tsai has made a real name for herself with her work in the operating room and in the research lab, Matthew Pearson reports. The tragedy of young lives altered forever by freak accidents or foolish mistakes drives Dr. Eve Tsai to find a cure for spinal-cord injuries. The causes may vary from car crash to sports mishap, but the result is often the same: a lifetime of paralysis. “This is something they’re going to have to live with for the rest of their lives and that seems like a huge burden, not only for the patients, but their families as well,” Tsai says. “To be able to repair that and give people their lives back is really satisfying.” Tsai specializes in complex surgeries, such as removing spinal tumours and treating spinal-cord injuries. To aid in her efforts, she has developed an MRI imaging technique that allows surgeons to visualize spinal-cord nerve fibres and to see the difference between the healthy and damaged ones. “This has allowed us to not only study and learn about these injuries, but also potentially lead to a roadmap in developing targeted therapies,” she says. The Ottawa Hospital was the first hospital in the world to apply this technique and patients from around the world are being referred here to receive the treatment. Tsai, who arrived at the hospital in 2006, performs between 200 and 300 surgeries a year. While some last an hour, more complex operations can take up to 16 hours. In addition to her long days in the operating room, Tsai is also actively engaged in research, but, she explains, that’s not as common as it once was as doctors all across the continent feel pressured to treat more patients and spend less time in the lab. “I feel those pressures as well,” she admits. “I guess the thing that drives me is that I really want to help the people now, but I also really want to help the people in the future, and, if we don’t play a role in the research, you’re not going to develop what needs to be developed to help people in the future.” read.... http://www.thescizone.com/news/10043...ottawa-surgeon

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06-14-2010, 12:04 PM	#2
Wise Young Administrator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: New Brunswick, NJ, USA Posts: 37,975	That is great. We need dedicated doctors and researchers. Wise.