KELOWNA, B.C. – Brain surgery is about to became that much safer at Kelowna General Hospital with the addition of a neuronavigational device, the Stryker Navigation 3i.
“It’s a machine that assists the surgeons with surgical accuracy for doing brain surgery,” says Dr. Gary Goplen, a neurosurgeon and the head of surgery at KGH.
KGH is currently renting a model of the device, but the latest edition is on its way thanks to a $100,000 donation from the Kelowna Rotary Club.
“The volunteers in rotary do it; it’s a labour of love,” says Bill Redmond, chair of the Kelowna Rotary Pro-Am golf tournament, “It’s really the generosity and kindness of our sponsors and this whole community who support this thing that we should be really thanking.”
Funds raised through the KGH Foundation’s “Be a Lifesaver Capital Campaign” will pay the rest of the $210,000 price tag for the neuronavigational instrument.
Kelowna real estate agent Lucas Jackson knows the amazing results of surgery with the device first hand. He suffered a major stroke from a cluster of abnormal blood vessels in his brain on March 25th and is almost fully recovered thanks to the guided hand of Dr. Goplen.
“Physically, I’m pretty much back 100%,” says Jackson, 31. “I’ve been working out for a few weeks. I can move anything, I can play catch with my son.”
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