Could you read your own MRI?
Welcome to Medical Minis, a new segment on This Is Your Brain.
Many of you have written asking about the surgeries Dr. Stieg performs, the patients he cares for, and the experiences and technologies that have shaped him. Your curiosity inspired a new addition to the show: short segments that take you behind the scenes of neurosurgery and into the operating room. We'll explore the tools and technologies we use, the decisions we face, and the human stories at the heart of our work.
In this Medical Mini, Dr. Phil Stieg talks with Todd Goldberg, Chief Business Officer of Avatar Medical, about turning MRI and CT scans into personal 3D models. Scans were designed by and for radiologists: black and white, flipped left to right, and read slice by slice. Goldberg explains why a 3D model still needs a doctor to walk the patient through it, why a better scan makes a better model, and the questions Avatar asked more than 100 patients after consultations at five institutions. He also shares a family emergency from years ago, before tools like this were in the room, and why clearer images would have brought comfort even if the medical decision stayed the same.
"Actually having clarity on things is comfort. It does matter."
Avatar Medical - https://www.avatarmedical.ai
Phil StiegHost