Robotically assisted surgery

This invaluable process takes careful planning. Robotic assistance during spinal surgery is set up using CT scans of the patient’s spine, either before or during surgery. The information from these scans is then mapped onto reference frames attached to the patient, and the surgeon plans the position of screws accordingly. 

This careful mapping, along with the arm’s special sensors, guides the robot and allows it to match the guides prepared by the surgeon with incredible accuracy. 

While this is also possible with spinal navigation (which doesn’t involve the use of a robotic arm), robotic spinal surgery is a more accurate method.  

As well as offering greater accuracy, this procedure is also more efficient than other surgical methods. Due to the surgeon’s ability to precisely match the surgical plan with respect to the position of screws in the spine, the operation can minimise the impact on the surrounding soft tissue. 

This reduction of “collateral damage” during surgery means many patients report improved recovery in the short term, with quicker recovery times and less pain. There’s also evidence to suggest that the precision of screw placement is equivalent to, or better than, other techniques.  

When you’re having complex spinal surgery, the precise placement of screws is vital. Robotic surgery, or computer-assisted navigation, is very useful to guarantee accuracy and can achieve excellent outcomes. 

However, many aspects of your operation come down to surgical planning, and other parts of the surgery, which cannot be performed using the robot. Therefore the outcomes of your surgery are not solely based on whether or not your surgeon uses a robot. Ultimately, this will be down to the overall treatment plan for your condition and whether it’s executed effectively and with the least possible amount of damage to the soft-tissue structures of the spine and surrounding areas. 

Patient outcomes are also significantly influenced by their rehabilitation programme. So, while robotic surgery can be a very useful tool to execute part of the surgical plan perfectly, it is just part of the process to ensure successful treatment and a good recovery.

Contact us today to find out how our unique combination of in-depth expertise can help you.