In The News
California Hospital Uses Virtual Reality for Preoperative Neurosurgery Planning
Hoag Memorial Hospital in Newport Beach, Calif., is using virtual reality to plan and practice neurosurgery procedures, reports Fox La. Four things to know: 1. The Surgical Navigation Advanced Platform, developed by Surgical Theater, allows surgeons to navigate through the patient’s brain using VR. 2. Patients’ MRI and CT scans are uploaded to the surgical … Read More
Medical Advances: O.C. Hospital Uses Advanced Technology in the Operating Room
It looks more like a video game – doctors equipped with a virtual reality headset and controllers. But it’s a fairly new medical device. Dr Robert Louis is a neurosurgeon at Hoag in Newport Beach. “We take patient’s standard MRIs and CT scans then load them into the surgical theater system and it creates a … Read More
Teen Suicide Continues to Increase, but There is Hope in the Trenches
In a darkened high school auditorium, the tragedy and reality of teen suicide hits like a gut punch. A short, stark video shows the parents of 16-year-old Patrick Turner grasping one another’s hands for support, speaking about their son taking his life and giving voice to their teenager’s final plea in a letter discovered after … Read More
Author Dean Koontz and his Wife Book $9M Donation to Hoag to Transform Radiation Oncology Care
Hoag grateful patient and author Dean Koontz and his wife, Gerda, longtime donors, have graciously committed $9 million to transform cancer care in Orange County. In recognition, Hoag is naming the Dean & Gerda Koontz Radiation Oncology Center in their honor. Through the couple’s generosity, Hoag will be the only hospital in Orange County, and … Read More
Identifying Substance Abuse Disorders and Vaping Dangers
CUSD hosted our first speaker series event in partnership with Hoag Hospital on September 11 at Capistrano Valley High School. Thank you to those of you who joined us for the event. If you were unable to attend, we invite you to watch this important discussion with the video recording linked here. A complete recap … Read More
Spine Surgeon Leader to Know: Dr. Robert Louis of Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute
Robert Louis, MD, is a neurosurgeon and program director of the skull base and pituitary tumor program at Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, Calif. Dr. Louis’ expertise includes endoscopic and minimally invasive treatment of benign and malignant brain tumors, sellar and parasellar tumors, as well as skull base tumors. He … Read More
Social Media: A Social Disease Killing Our Kids?
Much has been written and said about the role of Facebook and social media in our society. Only recently has the increasingly dark side of what was once thought to be a monumental transformation of humanity come into public discourse. Initially, the potential threats to privacy and the normal political process of our democracy grabbed … Read More
Hoag Uses Advanced PET Scan Technology
Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach is using an artificial intelligence-powered imaging technology that cuts positron emission tomography (PET) scan time for patients by more than 60%, according to a news release. Hoag is the first hospital in the country to adopt the SubtlePET imaging software for patient use, the hospital said. It enables PET scans … Read More
Dr. Safahieh: Is “Gaming Disorder,” A Real Addiction and How Can I Tell if it's Affecting my Child?
Studies have shown that video games and other addictions, such as alcohol and nicotine, affect neural pathways in similar ways: They all lead to an increase in dopamine levels in specific pleasure centers of the brain. While drugs increase dopamine levels far more than video games, gaming can have a similar deleterious effect of “taking … Read More
Clinical Trials Help Advance Both the Present and Future of Medicine
If you’ve ever used a medication to treat an illness, you have a clinical trial to thank for it. Every standard therapy used in medicine today once started as a clinical trial — and it is commonly understood that today’s trials are shaping treatments of the future. Less understood is the fact that clinical trials … Read More