Major Changes to Enhance Innovative Neurosurgical Care

The team of physicians at Mayfield Brain & Spine strives to make the impossible, possible. The clinic, established in Cincinnati in 1937 by Dr. Frank H. Mayfield, is experiencing a major expansion in multiple areas as it aims to deliver world-class neurosurgical care at hospitals throughout the community.

Mayfield is building alliances with area hospitals, acquiring cutting-edge technology, training and recruiting top neurosurgeons and expanding its clinical research.

"We want to provide technologically advanced care that is patient-focused and affordable in a location that is close to our patients," says Dr. Arthur Arand, chairman of Mayfield’s board of directors. "We are excited about our expansion at premier regional healthcare systems that include Mercy Health, St. Elizabeth Healthcare and TriHealth. We are opening a new office in West Chester, Ohio, and also on the west side of Cincinnati.

"We’re an organization that has been here 80 years," Dr. Arand continues. "We have 20 practicing neurosurgeons in our group, which allows us to sub-specialize in all areas of brain and spine surgery. This means that we can treat all patients, whether they have a neurovascular problem, a brain tumor, a spine problem or a movement disorder such as Parkinson’s disease. At Mayfield, we have people who not only can treat these challenging conditions, but who can do it well."

This summer, Mayfield surgeons started using the innovative Mazor X technology at St. Elizabeth in Northern Kentucky. The new technology makes it easier for surgeons to be more precise and efficient during spinal fusion surgery of the lower back. The result is that fewer patients need to undergo revision surgery.

"When you put the work into the planning stage, the results are more precise," says Dr. Tann Nichols, a neurosurgeon with Mayfield. "So if a patient has an abnormality that wasn’t seen on an x-ray, this tool sees it and plans for it."

St. Elizabeth is the first in the region – and one of the first in the nation – to offer the upgraded Mazor X. TriHealth also has acquired the Mazor X, and four Mayfield surgeons are now using it.

Dr. Andrew Ringer, director of cerebrovascular surgery at Mayfield and chief of neurosciences at TriHealth, is working with the manufacturer of the Magellan Robotic Catheter System at Good Samaritan Hospital to reengineer the cardiovascular technology to be used for emergency stroke patients. The Magellan system was installed at the hospital in 2014 to treat vascular disease of the aorta, carotid arteries, renal arteries and lower extremities. Dr. Ringer suggested that the robot could also help surgeons perform endovascular (in-the-artery) procedures through winding, hairpin vessels of the brain.

Dr. Ringer began using the Magellan in 2015 to break up clots inside the arteries of emergency stroke patients. That’s when he started working with the manufacturer of the technology to make changes for intracranial use. Since then, Dr. Ringer has diagnosed or treated more than 75 patients with the technology.

Mayfield doctors have been collaborating with TriHealth for nearly 80 years. To enhance the relationship while expanding patient care, both organizations are developing a comprehensive neuroscience institute to provide cutting-edge surgical care for the brain, head, neck and spine, as well as advanced stroke care.

TriHealth is investing more than $40 million in equipment, specialized staff and facilities to expand upon an already robust neuroscience program. The neurosurgery intensive care and step-down units are being upgraded, and TriHealth is investing in the latest technologies to ensure patients receive the latest in neurological and neurosurgical care at both Good Samaritan and Bethesda North.

Meanwhile, Drs. Vince DiNapoli and Ronald Warnick of Mayfield are driving change at The Jewish Hospital – Mercy Health, which offers Gamma Knife radiosurgery and has been designated Mercy’s flagship neuroscience hospital. Mayfield neurosurgeons also operate at Mercy Health’s Anderson, West and Fairfield hospitals.

Mayfield’s goal is to provide the best possible neurosurgical care. "We frequently take on complex cases," says Dr. Arand. "When physicians have done all they know to do for a patient, but haven’t resolved the problem, they send them to Mayfield. Amy’s story is a great example of what we can do."

Dr. Arand was speaking about the complex case of Dr. Amy Mashburn, a pediatric allergist and immunologist in central Kentucky. Dr. Mashburn suffered from a progressive spine disease that caused deformities over time, generating intense pain when she stood on her feet for even a short amount of time. Physicians in Kentucky had performed multiple procedures to correct the problem to no avail. As the pain grew worse, Dr. Mashburn had to stop working and claim disability.

Her doctor finally recommended that she see Dr. Robert Bohinski, a Mayfield neurosurgeon known for complex spine reconstruction. After examining Dr. Mashburn, Dr. Bohinski saw several problems with her spine. The name for her condition was iatrogenic deformity – flat back syndrome. She also suffered from junctional kyphosis, a complication of spinal fusion surgery that resulted in a rounded upper back. The condition caused her spine to curve like an arch.

"Every year after 2005 I got more bent over," Dr. Mashburn says. "The last few years were horrible. By the time I saw Dr. Bohinski, I was so bent over that I knew people’s shoes better than I knew their face." She had her first back surgery in 2001 for instability in her middle back. "After that, my back fell apart."

Dr. Bohinski performed two surgeries over two days, a total of about 18 hours in the operating room. In about a week, Dr. Mashburn was home. Her life has returned to normal, she stands upright, is walking and has returned to work.

"Amy’s story is a perfect example of what our team of physicians can do," says Dr. Arand. "With our partnerships, training and recruiting top talent, research and innovations, we are doing everything we can to enhance the lives of our patients." 

Mayfield Brain & Spine is located at 3825 Edwards Road, Suite 300, Cincinnati, OH 45209. For more information, call 513.221.1100 or visit mayfieldclinic.com.