CLOSE QUARTERS Image-guided navigation systems allow surgeons to confidently guide their instruments through difficult and distorted anatomy.
A few months ago, I operated on a patient with severe nasal polyps —a condition that caused significant discomfort and breathing issues. These polyps were recurrent from a previous surgery done by another surgeon who did not work with image-guided assistance. To clear out the sinuses and the nasal cavity, I performed a functional endoscopic approach and nasal polypectomy using image-guided technology to remove blockages in the sinuses and polyps in the nasal passages.
The difference in outcomes between the two procedures was night and day. The patient told me they couldn't recall ever breathing as well as they did after the follow-up surgery. They also reported the recovery was much easier the second time around.
Outcomes like this are a big reason why image-guided navigation systems are evolving into the standard of care for outpatient ENT surgery. Let's look at why this technology is worth every penny of the upfront investment for your facility.
Precise navigation
The beauty of image guidance is its ability to track anatomical landmarks in real time, meaning surgeons can navigate precisely through these landmarks and visualize anatomy they otherwise wouldn't see before getting into it. By providing a direct link between the navigation platform and the instruments otolaryngologists use to perform ENT procedures, image-guided tracking delivers unparalleled accuracy and allows surgeons to move their instruments within 1mm to 2mm of delicate anatomy.
