At a First Tuesday lecture at New Bolton Center on Nov. 5, three veterinarians (Barbara Dallap Schaer, Kathryn Wulster, and Dean Richardson) gave a fascinating presentation about New Bolton's new robotic CT imaging system.
Instead of having to anesthetize the horse and figure out how to slide the affected body part into the CT "doughnut," the new system uses computer-controlled robotic "arms" that move around the standing, awake horse to acquire the data. The vets then review the high-resolution reconstructed images and can plan treatment accordingly. The new CT system provides key information about injuries and sometimes uncovers unsuspected problems.
As orthopedic surgeon Dr. Richardson quipped, "If I can't see it, I can't fix it."
Dr. Richardson said the most frequently injured equine body part is the fetlock, and he showed photos showing why: when the horse is galloping, the fetlock is almost flat against the ground.
The speakers said that new system may even have applications for human medicine. Now children have to be sedated for CT scans so they don't move, but with a robotic system the child could lie in bed playing a video game during the scan.
One of the first questions from the audience, most of whom were horse owners, was about the cost of a scan using the new system. The speakers said it was about the same, given that anesthesia wasn't needed, and insurance companies have been covering the procedure.
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