José Joaquín Puello talks about the future of neurological sciences
Santo Domingo. The future of Neurological Sciences was the central issue addressed by Dr. José Joaquín Puello, neurosurgeon and Head of the Neurosurgery Service of the Luis E. Aybar Hospital, in a keynote that took place this Wednesday, January 9, at the Osvaldo Auditorium Garcia de la Concha of the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC).
The prominent Dominican neurosurgeon and founder of INTEC, spoke about the future of neurosciences in the health area, the contribution of new technologies and their applications to optimize the diagnosis of patients and seek better treatments for diseases of the nervous system. He also highlighted the latest advances in this, the new knowledge that it has contributed, the beginnings of its application in the Dominican Republic and its potential application function in different branches of Medicine.
Puello explained that minimalism and computer science have influenced the neuroscience trends. As examples, he cited neuronavigation, which allows faster, less invasive surgeries and fewer complications of surgery for the patient, neuromodulation, the application and combination of nanoscience in devices such as valves for hydrocephalus with nanotubes or a chip for blind people. It is introduced into the brain and allows to distinguish certain forms. He also referred to the surgical procedures that are carried out with robots and without any intervention of surgeons (Robocast Project, Brain suite). He also cited new sciences that have emerged, such as Epigenetics and clinical neuroproteomics and advances in Optogenetics.
"Neuroscience is possibly the science that has advanced the most and has done so exponentially. Surgical systems lead to accelerated development and techniques are sophisticated. Today's technology allows us to operate minimally invasive and with little anesthesia, operate people who could not before, solve previously insoluble problems, lower morbidity, intervene in diseases that could not be done with shorter recovery periods years ago. the patient, "said Puello.
The specialist referred to early diagnosis techniques with biomarkers as "hopeful", as well as advances in diagnosis, prevention and possible Alzheimer's cures, as well as other fields, such as Psychiatry, a world that is beginning to move at the same pace of the neurological.
"Two or three years will see extraordinary things but we must wait for the results of therapies such as stem cells, for example, to see what the path will be, because there are also negative aspects," he said.
José Joaquín Puello who has worked at INTEC as a professor of the subject of Clinical Neurosurgery and Neuroanatomy, has also distinguished himself as a teacher at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), in the subjects of Neuroanatomy and Physiological Psychology and at the National University Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU) with the subjects of Clinical Neurosurgery.
In his professional career he has received important recognitions, among which are the Order of Duarte, Sánchez and Mella in the Degree of Caballero, for services rendered to the community; and the Order Duarte, Sánchez and Mella in the Officer's Degree for sporting merits, Co-Founder of the Valve Bank for hydrocephalic children of the Dominican Republic.
He is currently Head of Surgery of the Cardio-Neuro Ophthalmology and Transplant Center (CECANOT), an institution that works for the implementation of medical advances in the country and has neuronavigators that allow visualizing the patient's head and navigating similarly to a GPS, with high level of sophistication.
The conference, which was open to the general public, was chaired by the rector of INTEC, Dr. Rolando Guzmán and was attended by authorities, directors, professors and students of the academic institution.
.