Patients needing back surgeries now have a safer, more accurate alternative to traditional surgery in their quest for healing and long-term relief. Robotic surgery has enabled spine surgeons to perform a variety of minimally invasive back procedures with stunning rates of accuracy, reducing the risks of complications while enabling quicker recovery times. With the addition of the Excelsius GPSTM robotic system, Polaris Spine & Neurosurgery Center is now the first clinic in Atlanta to offer enhanced accuracy through the use of GPS-related navigation.
Before your procedure, medical images of your anatomy will be uploaded to the ExcelsiusGPS system to identify the exact point(s) of incision and placement of any screws and implants. These images are used to create a patient plan for the surgery. With GPS technology, your images become a “map” that guides the robotic arm to the exact point of placement, similarly to how your GPS operates in your car. Your surgeon utilizes this technology as a guide for making precise incisions and inserting implants perfectly. This results in more positive outcomes, quicker recovery times and reduced risk of complications — and ultimately, the healing of back injuries.
Yes. In fact, it is statistically safer than most comparable procedures done without these instruments. Robotic technology makes precise calculations, and rigid robotic arms are not subject to human error or waverings of the hand and arm muscles. The result is that accuracy rates of robotic surgery exceed those of even the most skilled surgeons performing the procedures by hand. This increased accuracy makes minimally invasive surgery even less invasive, thereby reducing the overall risks to the patient.
One of the greatest advantages of integrating newer GPS technology with the robotic navigation system is that it can adapt to natural human movement. As the robot reads the patient’s anatomy map, it can detect even the slightest movements of the patient and recalculate accordingly — not unlike your vehicle’s GPS recalculates when you miss a turn. This ability to adapt in real time causes the robot to be even more accurate in guiding the doctor to the incision point.
At Polaris Spine & Neurosurgery Center, we employ many non-invasive techniques to relieve back injuries, and we recommend surgery only when these alternatives are either exhausted or not recommended. However, if back surgery is recommended in your case, depending on the procedure, robotic surgery may be a viable option for you. To discuss further whether you might be a good candidate, give us a call at 404-256-2633.