Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano, an acute care hospital and Texas Back Institute, an US clinic providing comprehensive medical care for back and neck pain, have been offering SpineAssist Surgical Robot for critical spine surgeries.
The SpineAssist surgical robot is the surgical robot designed specifically to operate on the spine. The Robot enables surgeons to plan the optimal surgery ahead of time using a computed tomography (CT)-based 3D simulation of the patient’s spine.
The firms said that the SpineAssist technology can be used in biopsies, to treat thoracic-lumbar fusion and vertebral compression fractures, and to correct scoliosis. Robotic spinal surgery is the latest in a variety of advanced spine and orthopedic services.
In addition to increasing precision, it reduces the amount of radiation exposure during surgery. For patients, it means less likelihood of infection, less pain after surgery, fewer complications, shorter hospital stays, and quicker recovery.
SpineAssist technology has two key components, a workstation that enables surgeons to pre-plan procedures in 3D based on the patient’s individual anatomy, creating a ‘surgical blueprint,’ and a robotic arm that guides the surgeon during the procedure using the preoperative plan.
The robot’s extension arm guides the surgeon to the pre-planned location with accuracy and allows to operate through small incisions in the skin and underlying muscles in order to reach the exact pre-planned location on the spine. Most procedures utilising the robot are minimally invasive.
Trish Bowling, chief executive officer of Texas Back Institute, said: “The SpineAssist surgical robot is yet another example of Texas Back Institute’s long history of bringing the most advanced medical technologies to the operating room. Beyond treating patients, training surgeons and fostering innovations are cornerstones of our practice.”