Augmented reality headset gives surgeons “x-ray vision” during procedures for
accurate and personalized implant placement while keeping their eyes on their patients
AVENTURA, Florida, November 2, 2020 – Aventura Hospital and Medical Center is the first community hospital in the Southeast Region and Florida to use a groundbreaking augmented reality (AR) guidance system that allows spine surgeons to “see through” a patient’s anatomy as if they have “x-ray vision.” The technology 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.
Similar to a real-time GPS, this “see-through” surgery lets surgeons know exactly where to place implants in a patient’s unique anatomy, and is bringing a new standard of personalization and care to the operating room. The AR guided spine surgery technology is different from other image guidance systems, as it allows surgeons to maintain their focus directly on the patient, rather than on a distant screen displaying the patient’s anatomy.
Jonathan Hyde, MD, Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon completed the first two minimally invasive procedures using the AR guidance system at Aventura Hospital and Medical Center. He shares that operating percutaneously, “I truly relied on the full capabilities of the system and actually am operating on the patient with basically one little incision in the skin. Having a headset display is fantastic. Unlike some earlier guidance systems that we have available where we actually have to turn our heads, look away from the patient and watch a screen, I actually see a hologram and the hologram fully correlates with what I am doing with my hands. And, at the same time, in my upper corners of my headset display I am able to see two different views of the spine simultaneously, so it’s like having a CAT scan and also AP and lateral fluoroscopic views simultaneously without any radiation exposure to the patient.“
The AR spine surgical guidance system consists of a transparent near-eye-display headset and all elements of a traditional navigation system. It accurately determines the position of surgical tools, in real-time, and superimposes them on the patient’s CT data. The navigation data is then projected onto the surgeon’s retina using the headset, allowing him or her to simultaneously look at both the patient and the navigation data. The technology is designed to revolutionize how surgery is done by giving the surgeon better control and visualization, which may lead to easier, faster and safer surgeries.
“Aventura Hospital and Medical Center is recognized among Healthgrades’ 100 Best Hospitals in Spine Surgery and 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery, both for 2 years in a row (2020-2021). As the first community hospital in the Southeast Region and Florida to offer AR guided technology for spine patients and with the most completed cases in the Southeast, Aventura Hospital and Medical Center and its Orthopedic & Spine Institute are at the forefront of bringing innovative technology to the community, said David LeMonte, CEO, Aventura Hospital and Medical Center.
About Aventura Hospital and Medical Center
Aventura Hospital and Medical Center provides highly specialized tertiary care services, including cardiac surgery, orthopedic and spine surgery, neurosurgery, surgical oncology and other complicated treatments or procedures. The facility has served the northern Miami-Dade County area since 1965 and today offers 407-licensed beds. Leveraging the latest technologies and treatment protocols and serving as a designated Level II Trauma Center and Comprehensive Stroke Center, Aventura Hospital meets both the elective and emergency healthcare needs of its neighboring communities and international visitors. As a State of Florida designated statutory teaching hospital, Aventura Hospital is also fulfilling a significant mission to educate and train future medical professionals with residency and fellowship programs in emergency medicine, general surgery, internal medicine, anesthesiology, pulmonology & critical care, cardiology, gastroenterology, radiology, psychiatry, transitional year, pulmonary disease, infectious disease, podiatry, hospice and palliative care, and geriatrics.
Aventura Hospital and Medical Center is a facility of HCA East Florida. HCA East Florida is the largest healthcare system in Eastern Florida and an affiliate of HCA Healthcare (HCA). HCA East Florida has 14 hospitals, multiple ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care centers, physician practices, and free standing emergency care facilities, as well as a supply chain center and an integrated regional lab. Together, HCA East Florida employs more than 18,000 employees and has more than 6,600 physicians on staff. For more information, visit HCAEastFlorida.com.
HCA EAST FLORIDA
Aventura Hospital and Medical Center + Highlands Regional Medical Center + JFK Medical Center + JFK Medical Center North Campus + Kendall Regional Medical Center + Lawnwood Regional Medical Center + Mercy Hospital + Northwest Medical Center + Palms West Hospital + Plantation General Hospital + Raulerson Hospital + St. Lucie Medical Center + University Hospital & Medical Center + Westside Regional Medical Center
