KUALA LUMPUR, April 19th, 2016- University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC) is proud to announce that The Minister of Higher Education, YB Dato’ Seri Idris b. Jusoh today launched the nation’s first state-of-the-art treatment facility known as Center for Image Guided and Minimally Invasive Therapy (CIGMIT) in UMMC.

 

The idea of Centre for Image Guided and Minimally Invasive Therapy was first mooted to match transferred higher surgical skills acquired during overseas training with an equivalent advanced operation theatre and types of equipment. The Malaysian government formed a Public-Private Partnership and made CIGMIT a reality.

 

The CIGMIT operation theatres are made up of 2 integrated intraoperative MRI and CT scanners and a radiosurgery suite. These operating theatres are unique, where patients' safety, cost effectiveness and efficiency are the core of its design philosophy.

 

Two rooms solution allows the scanners to be available for diagnostic imaging while operations are going on in the other rooms. When an intraoperative scan is needed, either for navigation or to assess resection margin, the CT scan machine is called into the operation room. 

 

On the other hand, intraoperative MRI requires a particular transport table to move the patient from the operating room into the adjacent MRI suite. Radiosurgery is a new treatment option for a small lesion or when open surgery carries a higher risk than benefit to the patient. A network of fast computers calculates the best combination of fractionated radiotherapy and subsequently guides radioactive waves into a tumour.

 

CIGMIT provides a symbiotic relationship between various surgical divisions, radiology and oncology in treating tumours. An integrated network of scanners and Image Guided Surgical equipment facilitate the workflow from the diagnosis, surgical option and through the follow-up care.

 

Intraoperative scans allow the surgeons to perform more complicated surgeries, reduce the operating time, and increases safety margin for the patients. While CIGMIT provides better care for our patients, it also offers the best education facility to our undergraduate and postgraduate students. The students can observe complex surgeries via live telecast in an interactive conference room mediated by MEDCOM, which is the commercialization product of our healthcare and technology research. MEDCOM enriched the way we teach and transfers higher surgical skills to the next generation.

 

With CIGMIT, we stay true to our DNA; providing care, improving medical education and driving healthcare research.