Patient comfort and convenience are the pillars of Banner Health’s North Colorado Medical Center’s bariatric surgery program. The fluoroscopy system AXIOM® Luminos TF is an integral part of it, according to Michael Johnell, MD, Medical Director of the Bariatric Center: “Thanks to its high table weight limit, its wide table, and the large distance between table and imaging tower, it is much more comfortable for our freshly operated patients. We really enjoy this comfort for the sake of our patients.” Patients that have undergone a gastric banding receive their follow-up upper gastrointestinal fluoroscopy exam the same day to determine whether the band is positioned correctly. They can then return and spend the night at home and are ready for oral fluid intake. This reduces cost of medical care and is much more comfortable and convenient for patients.

Gastric bypass patients are imaged the morning after their operation to determine if there are any leaks and if the pouch empties properly. Before AXIOM Luminos TF with its robust table was installed at the facility, some of these patients were so large that they could only be imaged in an upright position with the former fluoroscopy system and were thus forced to stand during the study. This is not only very uncomfortable and even painful for post-op patients; it also decreases sensitivity for detecting leaks and other complications. The X-ray power used with the AXIOM Luminos TF is also extremely helpful to image such large patients. “We see much more precise images now that we have the Luminos,” states Johnell. With five to six bariatric surgery patients a day, its smooth and easy patient positioning and its examination time of ten instead of 25 minutes also saves a lot of time.

The North Colorado Medical Center’s bariatric program started in 2001. Ever since 2005, it has been named a National Bariatric Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. “Of course they do look at quality of care, but they also make sure the equipment in various departments – and that includes the OR as well as radiology – meets the specific needs of bariatric patients,” Johnell says. To this, AXIOM Luminos TF contributes its share.