O-arm® Surgical Imaging with StealthStation® Navigation now available at Southeast Hospital.

For the past four years, Regional Brain & Spine physician Dr. Kevin Vaught has been working to bring a state-of-the-art imaging tool to our area. We are proud to announce that the O-arm® Surgical Imaging with StealthStation® Navigation is now in use at Southeast Hospital.

Need spine or neck surgery? The O-arm helps your surgeon give you the best results possible.

The O-arm is an imaging system that lets your surgeon get real-time, 2D and 3D images of your anatomy during surgery. Real-time imaging during surgery is a relatively new capability and it offers surgeons and patients several benefits:

• The O-arm Surgical Imaging with StealthStation Navigation can improve the precision of many surgeries, especially surgeries that require placement of screws or other hardware. The O-arm is used in all kinds of complex back and neck surgeries, like those performed by the Regional Brain & Spine surgeons.

• The O-arm, combined with the StealthStation surgical navigation system, gives your neurosurgeon critical information during your procedure. That can improve the accuracy of your back or neck surgery and help your surgeon evaluate the outcome of your procedure as soon as it’s complete, before leaving the operating room… and that can help reduce complications and the need for another trip to the OR.

Our team of neurosurgeons and other Cape Girardeau area surgeons are already using the O-arm at Southeast Hospital. The addition of this technology further strengthens the hospital and our practice as healthcare leaders in Southeast Missouri, and we are excited about the benefits it offers to our patients.

Meet Debra Alexander, RN, APRN

Board Certified: Neuroscience Registered Nurse
Board Certified: Family Nurse Practitioner
MSN: Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO
BSN: Webster University, St. Louis, MO
Honors: Dougie Manthey Nurse of the Year Award

Debra Alexander, RN, APRN is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse with 28 years of nursing experience, including 14 years working in an intensive care unit. She has been an important part of the Regional Brain & Spine team for nine years.

Patients and their families appreciate Debra’s knowledge and her passion for education. Debra enjoys talking with our patients and their family members, to help them understand their situation, their options and the details of their treatment plan. For many patients, Debra is there for them every step of the way during their care with us, answering questions and offering support and understanding.

Debra is a wonderful example of the kind of genuine, compassionate care we are so proud to provide at Regional Brain & Spine. Her role in our practice also highlights the value of our team approach. We all work closely together to make sure each one of our patients gets consistently excellent care.

On a personal note, Debra enjoys spending time with her husband, their three daughters and their two Yorkshire Terriers. She is a member of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and volunteers with the Salvation Army and hunger relief charities.

Summer is here and we hope you have plans to enjoy the warm weather. For many of us, this time of year means more activities and fun outdoors. Keep these tips in mind to help avoid injury and enjoy your summer safely…

• Playing golf or tennis or taking up swimming in the summer are all great ways to be active, but if you haven’t been moving much over the past few months, take it easy. Start slow, stretch before you start exercising or playing your favorite sport and don’t over exert yourself.

• Going camping or to the kids’ sports practice? Be careful lifting and carrying all that heavy equipment. Brace your core abdominal and back muscles, plant your feet and use your leg muscles to lift, not your back. Never twist or rotate your upper body or knees while trying to move or carry heavy items.

• While Regional Brain & Spine is dedicated to solutions for back and neck pain, neurosurgery, chronic pain treatment and physical rehabilitation, we care about the whole you… so we want to remind you to wear sunscreen, drink plenty of water and avoid getting overheated. We hope you enjoy this time of year, feeling your best!

Call (573) 332-SPINE
www.regionalbrainandspine.com

Regional Brain & Spine offers you expanded choices and greater convenience.

• Our main office is located on the campus of Southeast Missouri Hospital at:
  1723 Broadway, Suite 410 • Cape Girardeau

• We make state-of-the-art spine treatment and minimally invasive surgical treatments convenient and affordable at our freestanding, outpatient surgery center.
  West Park Surgery Center • 319 S Silver Springs Road • Cape Girardeau

• We offer weekly neurosurgery clinics in Perryville & Sikeston – call for appointment info.

On the campus of Perry County Memorial Hospital:
212 Hospital Lane Suite 202 • Perryville

In the Health Facilities Rehab building:
1102 Sikes Avenue • Sikeston