Saint Francis Hospital Incorporates EnVisio Surgical Navigation System and SmartClip Technology for State-of-the-Art Breast Cancer Treatment

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Continuing its commitment to delivering superior care to its patients, Saint Francis Hospital announced today its adoption of Elucent’s EnVisio® Surgical Navigation System and SmartClip® technology, a groundbreaking tumor marker system that reduces pain and increases accuracy during breast cancer surgery. The new technology system represents a significant improvement for women undergoing lumpectomies, a surgery that removes cancerous tumors and some breast tissue, improving both clinical and cosmetic outcomes by replacing the typically used, but painful and non-precise, hook-wire localization procedure.

“With approximately 1-in-8 women in the U.S. expected to develop breast cancer over her lifetime, it is vital that we continue to innovate and push the standard of care for our expanding patient population,” said Christina Metcalf, M.D., Division Director of Breast Surgery at Saint Francis Hospital. “We are extremely proud to bring this state-of-the-art technology to serve our patients facing breast cancer. Providing the best patient outcomes is important to us, and by using the EnVisio system, we are elevating our facility to the leading edge of breast cancer care. The EnVisio system allows us to streamline the patient’s surgical experience and eliminate an additional step on an already stressful day.”

This advanced technology allows physicians to implant the wireless SmartClip Soft Tissue Markers at the time of the breast biopsy or any time prior to surgery. Surgical navigation, quickly becoming an integral part of the surgical routine of clinicians, is already the standard of care in neurosurgery, orthopedics, and other specialties, and is now possible for breast cancer patients as well. The EnVisio Navigation System allows breast surgeons to reach their target safely without disrupting healthy tissue. The system provides “directions” to surgeons in three dimensions to accurately pinpoint and mark the location of cancerous tissue that needs to be removed. Once integrated with the surgical cutting tools, surgeons are guided with real-time 3D navigation to locate the tissue to be removed.

Elucent partnered with renowned breast surgeon Lee Wilke, M.D., to develop the technology. “Millions of women undergo breast cancer treatment, including the pain and stress of traditional hook-wire placement procedures,” said Dr. Wilke. “The SmartClip, placed either at the time of biopsy or prior to surgery, reduces physical discomfort for patients undergoing breast cancer treatment while also offering the most precise tissue navigation needed to deliver a clear pathway from diagnosis through surgery.”

The SmartClip is incredibly small, measuring about the size of a grain of rice, and emits a differentiated electromagnetic signature to provide true, real-time stereotactic 3D coordinates. More than one SmartClip may be inserted, allowing surgeons to track and locate simple and more complex and widespread cases. SmartClips are FDA-cleared and safe to remain permanently if it is determined that surgery is not needed.

The SmartClip is used in conjunction with the EnVisio Surgical Navigation System, which delivers real-time guidance, processing over 250 data streams continuously and simultaneously. The electromagnetic signature communicates depth, distance, and direction, which helps surgeons locate tumors with minimal invasion and excise targeted tissue for increased successful recovery.

For more information on breast cancer care at Trinity Health Of New England, visit our website.