The Orthopedic and Spine Institute of Northern Westchester Hospital recently brought new technology into the operating room – the O-Arm from Medtronic. The O-Arm is an intra-operative CT Scanner with Image Guidance used to make placement of spinal instrumentation more accurate and safer.
Typically, the O-Arm would be mainly used for patients undergoing spine surgery that need instrumentation placed such as rods and screws.
During these procedures, patients undergo general anesthesia and prepped for surgery. An incision is made over the surgical site and then the O-Arm is brought in to obtain a CT scan with three-dimensional imaging. That process takes a few minutes and then CT scan information is sent to a computer work station.
After data acquisition, the O-Arm is moved away from the patient allowing surgery to continue. When it is time to insert the pedicle screws, surgeons utilize the image guidance software that allows visualization of the actual CT scan images showing the safest and most accurate placement trajectory for the pedicle screws.
The excellent views offered by the O-Arm allow surgeons to operate with increased precision and patient safety, and that's incredibly important when performing complex neuro and spine surgery. The O-Arm lowers the risk of spinal nerve damage; what's more, when the O-Arm is used for implants or fusing vertebrae, it helps reduce the chance that a screw or pin will be placed in a poor position — a situation that can require further surgery. Northern Westchester Hospital is using this technology for almost all lumbar and thoracic fusion procedures.
Learn more about the O-Arm on Northern Westchester Hospital’s blog.