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MEDICAL ADVANCEMENTS

Spine surgery advances at Abrazo West

GPS provides ‘roadmap’ for robotic arm

Posted 3/3/21

A 68-year-old former Marine who underwent four back surgeries and had been living with severe back pain for years is feeling much better these days, thanks to new surgical technology in use at Abrazo West Campus in Goodyear.

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MEDICAL ADVANCEMENTS

Spine surgery advances at Abrazo West

GPS provides ‘roadmap’ for robotic arm

Posted

A 68-year-old former Marine who underwent four back surgeries and had been living with severe back pain for years is feeling much better these days, thanks to new surgical technology in use at Abrazo West Campus in Goodyear.

The Globus ExcelsiusGPS robotic system uses GPS guidance to help provide relief for back pain. Its computer-guided robotic arm follows a map of the patient’s anatomy for accuracy in size and placement of implants and screws during minimally invasive spine surgery, according to a release.

Porferio Gill had been living with severe back pain and lower extremity numbness for years before Dr. Kenneth Hood, a spine surgeon at the hospital, 13677 W. McDowell Road, used the Globus ExcelsiusGPS robotic system during a recent operation.

“I feel a lot of difference compared to what I was going through,” said Mr. Gill, a Goodyear resident who served as a machine gunner in the Marine Corps. “Before the operation, the pain felt like pressure in my back, and I feel like this procedure could give me a better quality of life.”

READ: Abrazo West Campus named Goodyear Corporate Citizen of the Year

His wife, Barbara, said the difference in her husband’s comfort and ability to stand, sit or lay down was noticeable right away.

“I think from the agony he was in before he went in the hospital to now is a complete turnaround. It’s a big change, and we’re hoping he will be able to overcome the limitations he’s had,” she said.

“I’m beyond excited to be able to offer the cutting-edge technology of the GPS-guided spine robot to patients in the West Valley. It will allow me to continue to provide quality outcomes for my patients while performing surgery in a safe, more accurate and less tissue disruptive manner,” Dr. Hood said.

The system is approved for pedicle screw placement (to add extra support and strength to the fusion while it heals) in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. On the day of surgery, X-ray images are imported into the GPS system. The surgeon uses these images to determine the size and placement of implants and creates a plan based on the patient’s anatomy.

“Robotic guidance is an assistant for the surgeon. Navigation is a way for the surgeon to see the tools in relation to a patient’s body on a screen as the tools are being used,” Abrazo West Campus Chief Executive Officer Christina Oh said. “The surgeon is still performing the procedure.”

The following procedures are treatment options where the GPS technology may be used:

  • Posterior Fusion
  • Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion
  • Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion
  • Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion
  • Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion

“We are very excited to offer this new option for West Valley residents who are considering spinal fusion surgery. Abrazo West Campus is investing in talent and technology through this latest addition to its surgical robotics,” Ms. Oh said.

“We were very impressed with everyone at the Abrazo Spine Institute, and the care at Abrazo West was wonderful,” Mrs. Gill said. “It ended up as one of the best experiences for him. He came out just glowing.”

For more information, visit AbrazoHealth.com.