Computer-Assisted Surgery (CAS)

Imagine looking inside a patient and seeing everything in precise, three dimensional (3D) detail – a lobe of the brain, the twisting passageways of nasal cavities, the structure of a vertebra. That's the view that more and more surgeons are seeing with the next generation of computer-assisted surgery technology used at St. Edward Mercy Medical Center through the use of Medtronic’s StealthStation technology guidance system.  The system further refines the computerized technologies of multi-dimensional imaging and navigation to enable neurosurgeons to precisely plan and visualize a procedure as it proceeds deep within the brain.

Computer-assisted surgery has revolutionized traditional surgical techniques by allowing surgeons to navigate through the body using computer-generated 3D images. Those images can be manipulated and merged to provide views never before seen in the operating room.

Benefits of Computer-Assisted Surgery (CAS)

Less Invasive than Traditional Surgery

• Surgeons are able to target a specific area, which may aid in avoiding damage to healthy tissue
• Incision sizes are typically reduced, which may lead to speedier recoveries
• Better patient outcomes may be obtained due to shorter recovery times and fewer complications
• Costs may be lowered due to shorter length of stay, lower acuity, and less operating time

Precision and Accuracy

• Patients with conditions considered inoperable may have new options
• Better long-term surgery results and a decrease in repeat surgeries are often achieved

Archiving

• Surgical information may be saved for review