New technology helps more than 40 Bryan West patients get back on their feet

But as one of the first patients at Bryan West Campus to benefit from the use of new technology, his road to recovery looked different than others.

When Carlson was diagnosed with COVID-19 in November 2021, he became very ill and developed Guillain-Barré syndrome.

The rare complication that some people develop from COVID-19 derails the body's immune system and causes it to mistakenly attack muscles and nerves. 

Once Carlson's health improved and he regained his ability to breathe, talk and move, he began using Bryan's exoskeleton to regain complete mobility. 

The Eksoskeleton is a computerized walking frame that supports a patient's body as they learn to walk again. 

Just months before Carlson, 52, fell ill with COVID-19, Bryan West received the Eksoskeleton as a donation from the Fraternal Order of Eagles.

Since then, the new technology is credited with helping speed recovery for more than 40 Bryan West patients. 

While they'd like to help more patients, Barb Wagner, lead physical therapist at Bryan West Rehab, said there are requirements patients must meet to use the Eksoskeleton. 

"It typically only works for patients with certain injuries and for those approximately 5-foot to 6-foot-4 that weigh less than 220 pounds," Wagner said.

Some things that may qualify a patient to use the Eksoskeleton are gait deficits resulting from a stroke, multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barré and injuries to the brain or spine.

Although the mobility timeline of patients who use the Eksoskeleton varies depending on the injury, research shows speedier returns to mobility than traditional gait training. 

Having various settings, the Eksoskeleton is a customizable piece of technology that re-teaches a correct walking pattern to reduce compensatory injuries. 

"The customizable motor support works for various levels of impairment that can self-adapt to provide the patient with the support they need," Wagner said.

One of the great features of the device is that its software allows clinicians to visualize patient progress and set goals for future sessions.

While the device may look heavy, Wagner says it fully supports itself, adding no extra weight to the patient. 

The fairly new technology is one that the Fraternal Order of Eagles has been donating to hospitals since 2017.

Its donated six Eksoskeletons across the country, three of which have been given to hospitals in Nebraska. 

Zack Timmons, marketing director of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, says pulling together such donations hasn't been easy with the pandemic.

"It's already a process to find hospitals with the required infrastructure to work with Eksoskeleton, and with COVID-19, this isn't as big of a focus for hospitals," Timmons says.

A year after Carlson lost his mobility, he's returned home to his family, gotten back into hiking and teaching preschoolers.

"It can be scary to get used to at first, but I'd recommend anyone given the opportunity to just try it. It helped me get back to normal sooner than I thought," he said.