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HouseCall • Find a physician: 866-683-DOCS
My ‘O’ my!
learn more
at free seminars
The center offers free seminars
every month on spine and other
joint disorders.
Topics include treatment for:
Arthritis and bone spurs.
Bulging or herniated disks.
Foraminal or spinal stenosis.
Scoliosis.
Attendees can meet with a
specialist from the center.
They also can learn about the
benefits of the O-arm® Surgical
Imaging System – and why it’s
being called the backbone of the
CHRISTUS Spine and Orthopedic
Specialty Center.
For more information about the
center, or the date of the next free
seminar, call
1-866-683-3627
.
From left, neurosurgeons Ian Angel,
MD; Tamerla Chavis, MD; Mark
Kubala, MD; and Marco Silva, MD
The Spine and Orthopedic Specialty
Center – St. Elizabeth surgical team
Spine Center gets
revolutionary
O-arm® to assist in
surgeries
Congratulations, Dr. Kubala!
The American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates, meeting in Chicago in June, voted
to award the AMA Distinguished Service Award to Mark Kubala, MD, a neurosurgeon at CHRISTUS
Hospital – St. Elizabeth. Dr. Kubala was praised for his work with professional medical organizations as
well as his work with philanthropic organizations.
This award is the highest honor given by the AMA, and Southeast Texas is fortunate to have a recipient
living and practicing within the community.
The eXCePTional
range of
tools available to ease back and other
joint pain at the CHRISTUS Spine
and Orthopedic Specialty Center
just got a little more extraordinary –
with a giant “O.”
The O-arm® Multidimensional
Surgical Imaging with StealthStation
Navigation system offers surgeons
clearer views in more ways during
surgery than do other scanners. It’s
fast and flexible. It also has the po-
tential to speed recovery times and
shorten hospital stays.
Revolutionary
in more ways than one
The mobile O-arm® system looks
more like a giant “C” when not in use.
During surgery, however, the ends
extend and surround the patient in
a ring. The ring itself then revolves
around the operating table, taking
pictures from all angles.
“
The O-arm®, featuring GPS-like
technology, offers 192 multidimen-
sional images in about 13 sec-
onds, and provides surgeons with
real-time 2-D and 3-D imaging not
offered by other available technolo-
gies, giving immediate feedback for
the procedure,” says Marco T. Silva,
MD, a neurosurgeon at CHRISTUS
Hospital – St. Elizabeth. “We can
see what is happening at that mo-
ment and make informed decisions
to give the patient the best possible
outcome.”
Working toward
the best outcome
The best possible outcome is what
the Spine and Orthopedic Specialty
Center is all about.
It starts when the patient arrives.
The center feels more like a hotel
than a hospital, with big rooms and
a private dining area. There’s even a
media room for visitors and patients.
The operating suites are models
of technology. After surgery, physical
therapists coach patients back onto
their feet. The latest methods in pain
control help speed recovery.
The center’s activity area lets
staff and patients work together in a
group therapy setting. Both inpa-
tients and outpatients can encourage
each other through the hard work of
rehabilitation and a return to active
living.