The St. Tammany Parish Hospital just got a new biplane.

No, not a World War I airplane. This biplane is a three-dimensional imaging machine that offers a revolutionary technology to treat many health problems from the spine to fibroids.

The machine gets its name, because it will use two angles, or planes that will create three-dimensional views of small blood vessels and soft tissue in angiography and neuroradiological procedures. In addition, the unit can be used to perform many other surgical procedures with much less discomfort to the patient.

Dr. Richard Vanderbrook and Dr. Daniel Harlin introduce the new biplane fluoroscopy unit at St. Tammany Parish Hospital. (Staff Photo by Debbie Glover)

For example, back or spinal surgery, a traditionally last resort procedure, often requiring lengthy hospitalization and recuperations with the patient experiencing pain, discomfort and therapy.

The new unit will provide a way for doctors to offer an alternative to surgery with a decrease in anesthesia, procedure and recovery time without the lengthy incision of traditional surgery. The treatment, called percutaneous discectomy, or disc decompression, reduces pressure on the nerve root by removing disc nucleus. Benefits include a three to five day recovery period, local anesthesia and mild sedation as an outpatient, which reduces the expense and many of the complications of open surgery and general anesthesia.

Vertebral compression fractures can also be treated with the use of the biplane radiological unit, allowing for more specific diagnosis and treatment.

With the new unit, uterine fibroids can be treated instead of performing a hysterectomy, which, like back or spinal surgery, carries risks and lengthy recover.

Drs. Daniel Harlin, Richard Vanderbrook, James Lacour and Ravi Kanagala are the four physicians that will utilize the new technology.

It is the only unit in the state.

Dr. Harlin said that procedures utilizing the machine could include heart rhythm correction using less contrast dye and providing more accurate views of the veins and arteries.

The use of the two cameras to create the two planes provides a more accurate and faster way to examine the patient and provide treatment procedures without moving the patient. The machine enables the physicians to do procedures faster and without performing major surgery. In tumor coblation, tumors are vaporized.

Even with tradition procedures such as a nerve block for spinal or back pain, the procedure provides better results because the needle can be placed more accurately and delivers medication where it is needed.

The equipment is costly; the hospital is currently leasing the machine, which is designed for diagnosis and therapy.