Stefano’s Stories: seeing where we haven’t before

April 2019

Have you ever looked into a microscope and be amazed at the details you have seen? It’s like it was giving you V.I.P. access to go somewhere you haven’t been before.

I remember in Grade 7 when we were asked to find the membrane, and see the organic matter. At first, you’re frustrated and then after numerous tries – cleaning your slides – trying again – figuring out which magnifying lens to adjust…it seemed like a project that would be impossible to master.

Fast forward a few years, and I get a tour of the Operating Room at the Children’s Hospital. What a fascinating place with some of the most talented doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals that we are blessed to have here in Manitoba. There are five operating rooms that are in constant movement day and night.

Here’s what I’ve learned. Some of the most complicated brain surgeries are completed with a 12-year-old microscope that has exceeded its life span. It does a good job, but we can do better. Enter Dr. Demitre Serletis and Dr. Colin Kazina. Two very talented neurological/surgery specialists have put together an incredible team that are putting Manitoba on the map for excelling in epilepsy surgery, treatment and benefiting other neurological areas as well.

Because of the incredible support of the community, we were able to put a down payment on a brand new Neuromicroscope. This machine is amazing. It can go into cavities with narrow access and magnify it, deliver more positioning precision, share high-resolution digital images with all personnel in the OR – training staff while following the procedure with comparable fidelity. And the difference it is making is AMAZING!

I’ll give you an example. Let me tell you about Lillian.

16-year-old Lillian was having seizures where she would zone out and had no control over what was going on. Months went by and while she was in Toronto visiting her brother she had a horrible seizure. At the hospital, it was discovered that she had a tangle of blood vessels in her brain that was causing the seizures. Her Dad, an Emergency Doctor in Ontario, did his research and heard about the work being done here in Manitoba. Three weeks after her surgery, Lillian was back to playing the piano and cheerleading doing what she loves to do.

If you want to learn more and get involved in some of the incredible projects happening here, contact me today at sgrande@goodbear.ca.