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Patient Population
The Toronto Western Hospital Spinal
Program provides tertiary and quaternary
level care to patients with medical and surgical disorders of the spine
and spinal cord.
Patients come from a broad referral base including the Greater Toronto
Area and across the province. Approximately 10 per cent of patients come
from across Canada and from an expanding international referral base.
Inpatients are cared for on the 24 bed 9B Spinal Unit which combines neurosurgical
and orthopedic spinal patients. Approximately 700 complex spinal operative
procedures are done annually in the Spinal Program.
A unique integrated Spinal Operating Team has been developed which combines
expertise in neurosurgical and orthopedic spine surgery. A large multidisciplinary
ambulatory program evaluates approximately 3,000 patients annually.
The Spinal Program has a close linkage with Princess Margaret Hospital
(PMH). Spinal oncology comprises approximately 30 per cent of Program
cases. The Spinal Cord Injury Unit, which is internationally renowned
for cutting edge clinical care and research, cares for approximately 80
patients per year with acute spine and spinal cord injuries. In addition,
the Spinal Program is closely allied with the Arthritis Program and provides
expertise in the management of rheumatoid cervical spine disease and other
complex spinal degenerative disorders.
Education
The Spinal Program provides clinical teaching to undergraduate medical
students and residents in neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery and allied
disciplines (neurology, physiatry). Neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons
from Canada, the United States and abroad have trained at our centre.
Our faculty are very active in the development of formal hands-on courses
in spine surgery for residents, fellows and graduate surgeons.
Research
Clinical Research: the Spinal Program is very active in clinical research
related to spinal cord injury, image guided spinal surgery, spinal oncology,
the development of novel spinal instrumentation and spinal dysraphism.
Basic and Translational Research: the Spinal Program is closely linked
with the Playfair Neuroscience Unit, TWH Research Institute. A collaborative
Spinal Cord Injury Research Program has been developed to examine approaches
to a) reduce acute nerve cell injury (neuroprotection); b) facilitate
axonal regeneration; and c) to understand and modulate adaptive neural
molecular and cellular responses to injury (neuromodulation).
For more information on UHN's spinal program, visit the Spinal
Program Web site.
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