ter's business. Now it accounts for as much as 15%.
"Those 2 surgeons were on the cutting edge of utilizing new technol-
ogy," says Ms. Meeks. This included expertise in surgical procedures
with which navigation systems are highly beneficial, including balloon
sinuplasty, FESS and the placement of dissolvable sustained-release
implants for patients with chronic sinusitis.
• Size and mobility. With OR real estate being as precious as it is, a
number of vendors have responded by slimming down their units,
with minimal footprints that don't compromise functionality. Dr.
Gallups says The Ear, Nose & Throat Institute recently invested in a
low-profile system that measures no more than 7 inches tall.
"The newer models are more size-conscious," adds Ms. Meeks.
"We're in an old building from the 1980s, so there's never enough
room for what you need in terms of storage."
Her center recently trialed a surgical navigation system with a dra-
matically smaller footprint than its existing system. In the end,
though, the dependability of the existing system — not to mention the
level of service from the vendor rep — won out.
A guidepost in a place with no landmarks
Given the precision and assurance surgical navigation has brought to
ENT, some surgeons may be scratching their heads, wondering: "How
did I ever live without it?"
"In a complicated nasosinal case, where there are no landmarks
whatsoever, I sometimes have that thought," says Dr. Gallups. "It's
more efficient, I know exactly where the instrumentation is, and I can
move with more confidence and speed. It takes all the guesswork out;
there's no art to it. It also keeps the patient under anesthesia for not
as long, and that's beautiful."
OSM
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