Author: Sarah Barber
“The goal is to get people back to normal function, including exercise and sports if they want,” said Dr. Abood. “This is a great new technology that will make spinal surgeries easier for our patients.”
McLaren Greater Lansing is the first in the region to add the Mazor X Stealth™ Edition Robotic Guidance Platform to its operating room. The Mazor X Stealth™ Edition Robotic Guidance Platform combines pre-operative planning tools and analytics with intra-operative guidance, giving McLaren’s surgeons advanced spinal surgery guidance.
“Spinal fusions are not a new treatment,” said Christopher J. Abood, MD, one of the surgeons who is credentialed to use this new equipment at McLaren Greater Lansing. “However, with this new equipment, these surgeries are now more sophisticated and less invasive, allowing for shorter operations that lead to less trauma for the patients.”
There are a variety of patients who may require spinal fusion or surgery. These include trauma patients with spinal fractures, oncology patients who require resections of the vertebrae, and, most commonly, patients who have degenerative problems in the spine. This pain can be caused by disc disease, arthritis, and scoliosis.
“This procedure is typically done by hand, relying on the training and experience of the physician and constant radiation exposure to provide a road map of the spine,” said Dr. Abood.
However, with the robotic arm that attaches to the OR table and patient, imaging before and during surgery provides a very detailed road map for the robotic arm to use in assisting placement of the screws and rods exactly where they need to go. “Using the robot arm eliminates the need for constant radiation, which is better for the patient and medical professionals in the operating room,” said Dr. Abood.
A patient who has had spinal fusion surgery can expect a two- to three-day hospital stay and a one- to three-month recovery time.
“The goal is to get people back to normal function, including exercise and sports if they want,” said Dr. Abood. “This is a great new technology that will make spinal surgeries easier for our patients.”
If you suffer from back or neck pain, talk to your primary care physician about a referral to a Mazor X Stealth-credentialed surgeon who may be able to help. For more information, visit www.mclaren.org/lansing.