Surgical Navigation Systems Market Outlook, Applications, Advantages, And Disadvantages

What is a surgical navigation system?

Surgeons can precisely track instrument position using surgical navigation technology, enabling them to subsequently project the instrument position onto the imaging data obtained before the operation. This cutting-edge technology is sometimes likened to global positioning system tracking, which allows travelers to view their whereabouts on a map. A computer workstation and additional gear for tracking the position of instruments are both required components of the equipment for surgical navigation. Even though electromagnetic and optical tracking is options, most sinus surgeons choose electromagnetic tracking. Before undergoing surgery, every patient is required to have a specialized CT scan with a high resolution, which acts as a map for the surgeon to follow during the operation.

On the day of the operation, the CT scan is imported into a computer workstation, where it is processed along with the images collected by the tracking system. The process known as "registration," in which corresponding points in the patient's anatomy and preoperative CT scan are aligned, is the first step in any surgical navigation procedure. This step is required for all procedures that use surgical navigation. The registration process should be crucial in calibrating the surgical navigation system. Through surgical navigation, the surgeon can see the position of the instruments concerning the preoperative imaging.

Applications of a surgical navigation system A 3D positional tracker records the laparoscope's movement and then provides a virtual laparoscopic view that corresponds to that movement. Preoperative CT scans are the basis for the surgical navigation system. The patient's anatomical and picture coordinates are brought into alignment by a process called "point-based registration." During surgery, the suggested navigation system can show the surgeon the virtual laparoscopic views based on the registration data.  

Medical image data such as CT and MRI scans are the foundation for the navigation system used during surgery. To create a 3D model of a patient before surgery, clinicians employ medical imaging equipment and computer graphics algorithms to rebuild and visualize multimodal fusion picture data. Based on this model, surgeons run associated software to analyze the condition and create the preoperative model. The virtual patient and surgical instrument are placed in the same coordinate system before the operation, and the simulation is run during the procedure.  

With a three-dimensional positioning system and a high-resolution display screen that can be viewed from any angle, the surgeon can keep tabs on where the instrument is in the patient's anatomy at any given moment (axial position, vector). By keeping an eye on the current surgical path and its associated parameters (depth, angle, etc.) in the shape, coronal position, and perspective level in front of the surgical field, surgeons can significantly reduce the risk of injury and complications, speed up treatment, and achieve proper minimally invasive surgery. Because of this analogy, the GPS for medical applications is often known as the operation navigation system. Its primary applications are in surgical procedures, particularly minimally invasive interventional and robotic surgery.  

Advantages and disadvantages of the surgical navigation system The surgical procedure of implant navigation can be divided into dynamic and static. Static navigation, in turn, can be further subdivided into full-guided(FG) implant surgery and half-guided(HG) implant surgery. The insertion of the HG implant can be done in several different ways, including drilling-guided, pilot-drill-guided, and non-computed guided procedures. In dynamic navigation, the process of bone drilling and implant placement is meticulously monitored by a specialized piece of software; on the other hand, static navigation refers to the utilization of surgical templates that remain unchanged throughout time.

The FG procedure associated with flapless surgery and teeth or crown-supported guides has been shown to have the highest accuracy in surgical navigation systems market analysis, followed by the drilling and pilot HG surgery that may provide comparable results. Final Words The FH implant placement and the non-computer HG procedure provide the lowest accuracy in transmitting the device positioning from the pre-surgical planning to the patient. In addition, flapless implant surgery is associated with decreased discomfort, decreased painkiller use, decreased edema, decreased chair time, decreased risk of hemorrhage, and increased patient satisfaction. However, to overcome the limitations of alternative approaches, such as HG and FH implant surgery procedures that do not need a computer, greater surgical skill is required. There is still a need for more evidence to back the practice of dynamic surgery; hence, more research is required.