September 11, 2000

Will handle up to 500 surgeries in his first year;


Dr. Imran Alam Brings Advanced Surgical Monitoring System to UNMC/NHS

All surgeons rely upon complex systems to monitor what is beyond the structures and tissues immediately in front of them, and physicians who operate on the brain and spinal cord are especially meticulous when monitoring a patient.  Imran Alam, M.D., a new physician at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the Nebraska Health System, is one of the countrys highest trained neuromonitors. He joined UNMC/NHS after more than five years at Columbia University.

Neuromonitoring is an early warning system for the operating surgeon, and in fact, is not limited to just neurosurgery, said Dr. Alam, who is a surgical neurophysiologist and assistant professor in the department of  surgery.  We want the earliest possible detection of any significant change in nerve activity or reduction in blood flow, or any potential trauma to electrical contact points that control the five senses, memory, speech and muscle responses.

Regardless of whether the surgery involves the brain, heart, eyes, ears or vascular system, there are many elements of human tissue that cant be scraped, bumped, compressed or otherwise injured without collateral damage to the patient damage that often isnt evident until after the operation.

Lyal Leibrock, M.D., professor and chief, section of neurosurgery, said that surgeons who perform spinal instrumentations, skull base procedures and operate on spinal cord lesions have particular monitoring needs to insure that there is no injury caused to the spinal cord.

Dr. Alam  is a significant addition to UNMC and is especially well-trained to help the section of neursurgery, orthopedics and the skull base program, Dr. Leibrock said.  His monitoring prevents neurologic injury to patients undergoing these procedures.

In addition to providing surgical monitoring, Dr. Alam often provides pre-operation maps to guide surgical teams throughout certain procedures, especially in the brain.

The monitoring system managed by Dr. Alam will be used in more than 60 procedures involving neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, vascular surgery, cardiovascular surgery, ear/nose/throat surgery and interventional radiology. There currently is no other physician in the Lincoln/Omaha-area trained to monitor such an extensive list of procedures. He will be involved in surgeries at NHS University and NHS Clarkson hospitals.

Some of the critical areas Dr. Alam monitors with highly sensitive devices are:

· Any impact of the brain stem and nerves responsible for hearing and other vital functions.
· Crucial brain activity during surgery involving epilepsy and cerebral aneurysms.
· Any distortion in blood flow, vascular anatomy and indication of blood clots.
· The motor and sensory pathways during spinal surgeries.

This sort of monitoring is cost-effective, because it clearly outweighs the potential cost of post-operative medical and rehabilitative care for patients who suffer neurological damage during surgery, Dr. Alam said. Neuromonitoring is advantageous to the patient, surgeon, hospital, and insurance carrier, whenever there is a risk of physician-induced neurological injury.