Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
Issue link: http://outpatientsurgery.uberflip.com/i/568943
safety and precision when, for example, they're faced with extensive nasal polyposis. Polyps typically obscure and distort the anatomy and normal anatomic landmarks. With 3D image-guided navigational sys- tems, surgeons can maneuver through these anatomically distorted areas with increased confidence and safety. They can take more of the diseased tissue while safely avoiding areas of danger. That targeted approach can result in better outcomes. Surgeons can also use image guidance to map out the optimal route to the anatomy they need to target, and use the technology to follow the intended path on the day of surgery. Improved instrumentation Infrared systems involve fiducial sensors placed on the patient and instruments that reflect infrared light back to the system's camera. The systems are an accurate and viable option, especially for routine cases, but the technology does have its limitations. Notably, it requires that surgeons maintain a clear line of sight between the instruments and the imaging unit. Historically, instrumentation used with infrared systems has felt somewhat bulky in my hands, and instrument choice is limited. In addition, I don't know of any instruments used with infrared systems that allow for the tracking of active powered instru- mentation. I find that the accuracy of electromagnetic image guidance is excellent. The instruments of electromagnetic systems are linked to the image processor, so surgeons don't need to maintain a direct line of sight between it and the tools in their hands. They must use pro- prietary instruments, however, which has been an issue for some surgeons who used previous generation platforms with limited instrumentation. But quality and quantity of instrumentation is improving dramatical- 1 0 8 O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5