Robotic Spine Surgery

The advanced next-generation robotic system at Scripps Encinitas builds upon the success of its predecessor, a first-generation robotics system that aids surgeons with 3D software modeling, planning and guided placement of surgical implants. 

The system uses a variety of integrated technologies that enable spine surgeons to develop a pre-operative treatment plan, make automated measurement and alignment calculations, and provide precise intraoperative guidance and verification to ensure the surgical plan is followed to each patient’s unique specifications.

Robotic spinal surgeries with this technology offer patients improved recovery times, in part due to shorter times in the operating room, less time under anesthesia and reduced exposure to radiation from intraoperative imaging scans.

Robotic spinal surgery is not for everyone with back pain. The procedure is most commonly recommended for patients to treat scoliosis, spinal fractures, degenerative disc disease and other serious spine problems and complications that have not responded to medications, physical therapy or spinal injections.

As with other robotic surgical devices, the new-generation system does not perform actual surgeries. Instead, the integrated platform provides surgeons with a comprehensive display of data and anatomical images of the patient’s spine. This allows them to perform millimeter guidance for surgical placement of implants to successfully fuse vertebra, realign curvatures and repair fractures. 

The platform is engineered to maximize surgical precision and improve outcomes by linking surgeon knowledge and experience with digital data and computer-based navigation.