Today, robots can be used for everything from vacuuming your floor to helping build cars in factories. But did you know they can also make back surgery safer?
It’s true. Robotic spine surgery lets surgeons work more precisely and accurately, and it exposes patients and medical workers to less radiation from X-rays. There is less bleeding and a shorter recovery time than with traditional spine surgery, and studies have shown lower complication rates when surgeons used robotic guidance in spine surgery.
That’s why Dr. Mark Giovanini at NeuroMicroSpine is in the vanguard of surgeons using the FDA-approved Mazor X surgical assurance platform in his practice. He believes it offers important advantages for his patients.
Robotic back surgery may sound a little strange, but if you’re worried that a robot is going to be holding the scalpel during your surgery, you can relax. With robot-assisted operations, the doctor still performs the surgery. But now he can do so with more precision than before.
If you need back surgery because other treatments (like medication and physical therapy) haven’t helped, this is what you can expect with the Mazor X system.
Before the surgery, the doctor will order a computed tomography (CT) scan of your back, so he has images of what’s going on inside you. The CT images will be uploaded into the robotic system, which will create a detailed surgical plan with computerized alignment calculations. This all happens before you get on the operating table.
Once you’re in surgery, the Mazor X system will guide your surgeon as he works through small incisions in your back to ensure accurate surgical moves throughout the procedure.
In addition to increased accuracy, this new spine technology reduces the amount of fluoroscopy (X-ray guidance) needed during surgery, so the patient and the surgical team are exposed to less radiation.
It allows surgeons to operate in places of the spine they normally wouldn’t be able to reach through minimally invasive incisions. The biggest plus for the patient in those cases is greatly reduced recovery time—a procedure that might take six months to recover from now takes four to six weeks.
For more information on minimally invasive spine surgery or to make an appointment with Dr. Giovanini, please call (850) 934-7545 or click here to request an appointment. We hope to see you soon!
The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.