Introduction

Every day, new developments in technology bring renewed hope for patients all over the world, as they move medicine decidedly forward. Sharing and working with this motto, Clínica IMQ Zorrotzaurre has a portfolio of advanced services with innovation as a constant point of reference. Latest-generation medical technology, applied to diagnostic and surgical techniques, is a reality in everyday clinical practices. Furthermore, the clinic uses software applications specifically designed for the medical arena, thus securing their position as a leader in healthcare.

Technology:

Their commitment to high technology is focussed on patient benefits, making surgery more precise and efficient, which often translates into a shorter time spent in hospital, a decrease in complications and the percentage of new operations required, and a quicker return to normal life. An example of this is robotic surgery using the da Vinci Surgical System, fundamentally applied to urological surgery, and also of importance in gynaecological and general surgery.

The clinic has the highest standard of equipment and technology and this, along with the experience of our professionals, allows us to provide our healthcare services efficiently. In this regard, the clinic's oncology unit has acquired the new Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator for radiation treatment, revolutionising the focus of oncological treatment as it allows us to treat areas that are difficult to access with greater precision and higher doses, thus obtaining a better response to treatment and fewer secondary effects.

Avant-garde techniques:

Clínica IMQ Zorrotzaurre has latest-generation treatment and diagnostic techniques, such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy, direct digital radiography rooms, 3D and 4D ultrasound scanning, PET-CT, 64-slice CT, high-field and open MRI, digital breast tomosynthesis, stereotaxy, VAB (vacuum-assisted biopsy), and an interventional radiology theatre where interventional and haemodynamic procedures are performed.

Working with innovation, we contribute to achieving excellence in healthcare, above all for more complex specialities such as oncology and cardiovascular diseases, amongst others. Therefore, the IMQ healthcare services have always developed and applied avant-garde techniques when caring for their patients, making available the most advanced techniques in minimally invasive surgery, surgical oncology, plastic surgery, cardiac surgery and thoracic surgery.

Software applications:

IMQ has made a lot of investment into software focussed on developing the single medical record. This is a project where medical records will be integrated at clinics and surgeries, facilitating interrelations between professionals.  In this way, we manage to offer our patients an integrated, higher-quality service.

REGENERATIVE MEDICINE FOR BACK TREATMENT

The Neurosurgery Department at IMQ Zorrotzaurre has specialists in treating back pain using cutting-edge techniques such as Infiltration of Plasma Rich in Growth Factors. This technique is within the field of personalised regenerative medicine. It allows the patient’s own blood to be used to obtain medication based on the therapeutic properties of the growth factors in that blood.

Growth Factors are proteins present in the blood plasma and inside the platelets. Those proteins directly intervene in the body’s tissue healing and regeneration processes.

This treatment has been developed by one of the most authoritative research centres in the world: BTI Biotechnology Institute España. With just a minimum amount of the patient’s blood (32 ml), the plasma rich in growth factors can be isolated and concentrated to then be used for therapeutic purposes.

The process begins with a small amount of blood being taken from the patient. The extracted blood is then processed to separate its fundamental components: red blood cells, white blood cells and plasma with platelets. By means of an integrated technique, components of the patient’s blood are then used to generate personalised plasma to be used in the treatment once activated.

The infiltration of the plasma rich in growth factors in the affected area is performed involving a simple surgical intervention with the patient needing to spend around 4 hours in the clinic.

Benefits of this technology

• DELAYS the progress of the articular degeneration

• REDUCES inflammation and pain

• IMPROVES function and mobility

This treatment provides a solution chronic back pain, allowing the progression of the disease to be delayed and even revert it, and drastically reduce the pain. Using plasma from the patient avoids rejections and secondary effects.

More information: https://neurocirugiabilbao.com/prgf/

Robot da Vinci

The da Vinci Surgical System is a state-of-the-art robotic platform capable of performing complex and very delicate surgery with high precision and minimum invasion of the human body. The da Vinci System —which is used for multiple surgical procedures and, especially, for prostatectomies— is controlled by a surgeon who works at a console. It was designed to facilitate complex surgery by using a minimally invasive approach and it aims to overcome the limits of open and laparoscopic surgery, improving the surgeon’s capabilities in terms of vision, precision and control. The da Vinci Robot is not autonomous; it requires the surgeon’s intervention in the operating theatre.

The da Vinci Surgical System is made up of an ergonomic console where the surgeon sits to perform the operation, and which is located in the operating theatre. Next to the patient, there is a camera unit (made up of controls, video, audio, and image processing) and the surgical cart incorporating three or four interactive robotic arms controlled at the console, at the ends of which are the different tools that the surgeon needs for operating, such as scalpels, scissors, unipolar instruments, etc. 

Benefits of Robotic Surgery for the doctor:

  • Improves vision: the image of the surgical area is clearer.
  • High- resolution 3D vision: using the da Vinci system, the surgeon can see in 3D instead of 2D.
  • Simplifies surgical techniques: it allows twisting and turning that would be impossible for the human hand.
  • Interventions in areas of difficult access.
  • Greater precision: the robot eliminates natural shaking and guarantees the precision of the surgeon’s movements.

Benefits for patients:

  • Shorter hospitalisation.
  • Less post-operation pain and discomfort.
  • Smaller scars.
  • Less risk of infection.
  • Less blood loss.
  • Faster recovery and return to normal life.

Some of the surgical operations where the da Vinci Surgical System is most frequently used are:

  • Urological surgery
  • Gynaecological surgery
  • Gastrointestinal surgery

Open magnetic resonance imaging

Clinica Zorrotzaurre is equipped with a 1.2 Tesla, open MRI scanner from Hitachi.

Patient comfort is the main advantage of this open system compared to the conventional bore-type design .It offers image quality and image-capturing capabilities similar to those found in conventional MRI devices, but it also has numerous advantages:

  • As it is an open machine, it minimises the feelings of claustrophobia experienced by some patients and avoids unnecessary sedation.
  • Patients who cannot be examined in a conventional MRI scanner, due to being overweight, can obtain images of their body through this device.
  • Easier access for elderly patients or patients with limited mobility.
  • Children can be accompanied by their parents and stay in constant contact with them.

Acelerador lineal

El acelerador lineal es un dispositivo que se utiliza para realizar sesiones de radioterapia a enfermos oncológicos en cualquier órgano del cuerpo. Este tipo de tratamiento con rayos X permite destruir células cancerosas sin afectar a los tejidos circundantes sanos. Los usos habituales son:

  • Radioterapias convencionales.
  • Radioterapia con intensidad modulada.


El acelerador lineal emplea tecnología de microondas para acelerar electrones que se hacen chocar contra un blanco de metal pesado obteniendo un haz de rayos X de alta energía.

La configuración de este tipo de equipo permite administrar la radiación al tumor desde cualquier ángulo moviendo el gantry (parte del acelerador por la que sale el haz de rayos X) y la camilla donde se ubica el paciente.