Guided Surgery
Guided Surgery
Exploratory surgery has in many cases turned into a procedure of the past. Modern imaging technology brings pre-surgical information to the surgeon that obviates unknowns. Computer technology, using this information, provides surgery that can be performed virtually on a screen before the patient is even touched. In addition, surgery has advanced to a level at which minimal invasion and maximal effectiveness is routine. The term ‘guided surgery,’ in the modern sense, should be viewed as ‘modern surgery.’ Guided surgery,’ however, is still seen by many as the use of computerized imaging or traditional X-ray-based stereotactic techniques to bring the surgeon precisely to the pathology being operated on.
The pressures of competition and multimillion dollar malpractice lawsuits have driven modern medical centers to invest heavily in technology. This in turn has driven the price of medical procedures to almost unacceptable levels. The hope is that applied technology can decrease the costs of each patient treatment. Image-guided surgery is an area that may lead to substantial savings in medical dollars. The scope of the approaches and the realistic surgical undertaking may lead to shorter hospital stays due to fewer complications related to extensive surgeries, less need for long convalescent and rehabilitation periods, and, consequently, a faster return of the patient to the workforce.
Information obtained during implant of a deep brain stimulator to control Parkinson’s disease symptoms. Upper left is a three-dimension reconstruction. White arrow shows the pyramidal tract relationship with the subthalamic nucleus. Red straight oblique line represents the electrode.
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