The neurosurgery department has about 80 beds under its care, including a neurosurgery intensive care unit wquired many high-end surgicalmicroscopes , a three-dimensional stereotatic system, a Metronic operative navigation machine, CUSA, endoscopic spine device,intraventricular endoscopy device, radiofrequency generator, and intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring instruments. In addition, there are two computer tomography machines, two magnetic resonance imaging machines, and two cerebral angiography (DSA) systems at our disposal.
There are an increasing number of surgical cases growing annually. Most notably more than 1500 surgical cases last year, of which about 130 cases were brain tumors, 30 cases were spinal tumors, 20 cases were aneurysms, 7 cases were cerebral arteriovenousmalformation, with 140 cases of hemorrhagic stroke, 120 cases of head trauma, and 750 cases consisting of spinal surgery and other neurosurgical procedures.
Our recent emphasis is placed on the development of minimal invasive surgery, with outstanding patient outcomes and quantity of casework becoming well known in southern Taiwan. Our work with transphenoidal endoscopic pituitary surgery has accumulated more than 260 cases; endoscopic median nerve decompression surgery with more than 1000 cases, intraventricular endoscopic tumor surgery with more than 10 cases, and minimally invasive spine surgery with more than 1000 cases (including endoscopic spine surgery).
The CyberKnife system (radiosurgery) was introduced to the Chi Mei neurosurgical department since October, 2008. It provides high accuracy and the option of non-surgical treatments of tumors and vascular lesions, and has since treated more than 890 brain and spinal lesions.