Spine Navigation Technology can ease surgery complications: Doctors

Spine Navigation Technology -- an image-based medical technology -- can be the best way to perform delicate and complex spinal surgeries, said doctors on Wednesday.

According to them, the biggest advantage of the Spine Navigation Technology is that doctors are able to operate with better visualisation and more accuracy than ever before.

"The image-based technology used in spinal surgery utilises scans of the patient's anatomy and instruments that are tracked by the Navigation System's camera. The specialised software creates a virtual, 3-D model of the patient's spine, essentially a digital roadmap or blueprint to help guide the surgeon," said Arvind Kulkarni, Head of Spine Scoliosis and Disc Replacement Centre at Bombay Hospital.

Adding further, he said: "The spine surgeon can use this model to plan the details of the surgery including the number, size and location of implants."

He said that the new technology used during complex cases enables faster, precise and less invasive spinal procedures in a reduced radiation environment.

According to the spinal experts, the other benefits of Spine Navigation Technology is that it also helps the surgeon to assist spine surgeons with some of the most complex spine surgeries.

"During a conventional spine surgery, surgeons may take multiple X-ray images to verify the location of instruments and placement of implants throughout the procedure while this modern technology eliminates the need for repetitive X-ray images, helping to reduce radiation exposure to both the patient and medical team," said experts.

Kulkarni said that the use of the equipment to pre-plan the operation, such as determining the size and location of screws to be implanted, saves valuable time and uncertainty associated with spinal surgery.

"Through this advanced technology, image-guidance may increase a surgeon's confidence in difficult cases, especially in revision cases where the patient's anatomy may be changed from previous operations," said Satnam Singh Chhabra, Head Neuro and Spine department at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

Talking about the potential of the new technology, Chhabra said: "This image-guidance technology in all types of spinal surgery is rapidly growing. Spinal fusion surgeries alleviating pain resulting from injury, degenerative disk disease, spinal curvatures or arthritis are the most commonly navigated surgeries."

--IANS

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