Mazor’s New Robotic-Guided Spinal Surgery Solution Makes ‘Re-Dos’ Unnecessary

We’ve all heard the horror stories about doctors removing the wrong leg or arm or other part of the body during surgery. But it can also happen when you’re having a spinal procedure. Implants called pedicle screws can be placed improperly, causing damage to the spinal nerve root, the vena cava (the artery that carries blood to the heart), even the aorta, itself.

Mazor Robotics Ltd, a provider of surgical robots and complementary products for spine surgery, announced that it will now market worldwide its robotic-controlled surgical guidance system for spine procedures, allowing surgeons to verify that the surgery was done accurately before the patient even leaves the operating room, often eliminating the need for additional surgery.

The C-OnSite enhancement to the company’s Renaissance system provides a solution for surgeons from planning through surgical execution to verification that the implant is positioned properly. That C-OnSite enables surgeons to use low-radiation, “intra-operative 3D verification of implant placement, based on imagery from any standard 2D C-Arm which is available in almost every operating room.”

“C-OnSite is a quantum leap forward for spine surgeons and their patients,” said Dr. Neville Alleyne, orthopedic spine surgeon at the Orthopedic and Spine Institute at TriCity Medical Center in Oceanside, Calif.

“The patient gets the equivalent of a post-op CT before leaving the operating room without the high radiation levels, and does not have to wait to rule out the need for revision surgery,” added Dr. Payam Moazzaz, orthopedic spine surgeon also at TriCity Medical Center.

In the past, the only way surgeons could accurately verify the placement of devices was by post-operative CT.

After screws are positioned, a 15-second scan is performed, which produces an intra-operative 3D axial view of the spine, showing the exact location of each screw and its relationship to the spinal canal, without additional, expensive intra-operative 3D systems for spine surgery.

Improper implant positioning can injure the spinal cord, nerve roots, and vascular and visceral structures. That’s why it’s so important that implants be placed properly. Mazor feels that its C-OnSite can prevent this kind of complication.

Mazor received FDA clearance last year.

Edited by Amanda Ciccatelli