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Renowned Spine Surgeon Michael Wang, M.D. professor of neurological surgery and chief of neurosurgery at UHealth Tower—the flagship hospital of the University of Miami Health System--has performed a spinal surgery using special goggles with augmented reality (AR) technology that provides surgeons with 3-D, x-ray vision.  

 

The Augmedics xvision Spine System is used at select medical institutions around the U.S. Dr. Wang performed Florida’s first surgery with the technology on Friday, October 16. The surgery was also the first performed with the equipment in the Southeast U.S.

 

The groundbreaking augmented reality  guidance system allows surgeons to see through a patient’s anatomy as if they have x-ray vision. The xvision Spine System is the first AR guidance system to be used in surgery and is currently approved for use in open and minimally invasive spine implant procedures. 

 

With previous surgical procedures neurosurgeons have had to look at the patient’s anatomy on a distant screen in the operating room. Dr. Wang’s first case using the AR system was a complex scoliosis case on a 72-year-old woman from Miami-Dade County.

 

“It was the perfect kind of case to use the AR technology because it requires extra precision and finesse for screw placement,” said. Dr. Wang. “The technology is another promising tool that UHealth  offers to advance recovery after spinal surgery. The xray vision allows us to see inside the anatomy and makes the surgical area three-dimensional—all of which helps with...(More)

For more information please read, UHealth Spine Surgeon First in Florida to Use New Augmented Reality, by South Florida Hospital News