Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa’s Ear, Nose and Throat/Head and Neck Surgery clinic recently announced the installation of a new sinus imaging and guiding system that uses augmented reality. The Stryker ENT navigation system, powered by Scopis software, provides a solution for the difficult challenge of navigating patient sinus cavities during surgery.
“Sinus navigation is essentially a GPS system for surgeons. Patient anatomy can be very complex and every individual is different,” Thomas Heineman,surgeon in PCI’s Ear, Nose and Throat/Head and Neck Surgery clinic, stated in a release. “The new system allows us to identify the patient’s unique anatomy and pre-plan our route. Then, during surgery, we are able to overlay the preplanned images with the real-time endoscopic images. It gives us a much higher degree of accuracy to perform efficient and safe minimally-invasive surgeries.”
Individuals may need sinus surgery if they have chronic sinusitis that doesn’t respond to non-surgical treatment, severe sinus polyps or an abnormality within the nose or sinuses that requires repair, such as a deviated septum. These procedures are challenging for surgeons due to the delicate internal structure of the sinuses. Additionally, surgeons must be very careful not to damage the thin layers of bone separating the other parts of the body, such as the eyes, palate and cranium.
“As leaders in our field, we are continually seeking new technology and new procedures to bring to the Cedar Rapids community,” Dr. Heineman stated. “Anything we can do to better visualize each procedure and make it less painful, faster and safer for our patients, makes sense.”
