Northside Hospital performs augmented reality guided spine surgery

Northside Hospital is now offering spine surgery with a groundbreaking augmented reality (AR) guidance system that allows surgeons to “see through” a patient’s anatomy as if they have “x-ray vision.”

Similar to a real-time GPS, this “see-through” technology lets surgeons know where to place implants in a patient’s unique anatomy, bringing a new standard of personalization and care to the operating room. The new technology is unique in allowing surgeons to maintain their focus directly on the patient, rather than on a distant screen displaying the patient’s anatomy.

“I really enjoyed using Northside Hospital’s new system which allows me to see a complete 3D anatomy of the spine while performing surgery, “said Thomas Nienke, Orthopedic Spine Surgeon at Northside Hospital. “By using the system it made placing the pedicle screws safer and more efficient. This technology allows myself and the surgical team to perform minimally invasive spine procedures with more precision thus lowering the risks associated with traditional surgeries and improving patient outcomes.”

The spine system consists of a transparent near-eye-display headset and all elements of a traditional navigation system. It accurately determines the position of surgical tools, in real-time, and superimposes them on the patient's CT data. The navigation data is then projected allowing the surgeon to simultaneously look at both the patient and the navigation data.

“We are excited to be on the forefront of surgical innovation by offering AR-guided spine surgery to our surgeons and patients,” said Valerie Powell-Stafford, CEO Northside Hospital. “This forward thinking technology leads to effective, faster and safer surgeries for our patients.”