Patients in need of complex spinal surgery have a new treatment option. In November, SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital - Lake Saint Louis debuted its 7D Surgical System. This state-of-the-art technology is the first navigation platform that uses only visible light to take high resolution and highly detailed images of a patient’s spine in just seconds.
It works by guiding the tools of surgeons like SSM Health St. Joseph’s Dr. Timothy Graven to the critical anatomy using sophisticated camera technology linked to a computer in the operating room. Unlike conventional image-guided surgery systems that depend on intraoperative radiation, this new system can achieve an incredibly fast surgical workflow for spine procedures, reducing operative time and radiation exposure for patients.
“We’re excited to bring this state-of-the-art surgical technology to the patients of SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital - Lake Saint Louis,” said Kyle Grate, Vice President of Hospital Operations and Director of Surgical Services at SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital. “7D Surgical’s Machine-Vision Image Guided Surgery enables a safer environment with less radiation exposure for our surgeons and employees, and reduces surgery time, making for a safer patient experience.”
Machine-Vision Image Guided Surgery entails the use of a sophisticated set of cameras acting as “eyes” to inspect objects and automatically analyze them, allowing for real-time feedback. Activated by the surgeon, 7D Surgical’s machine-vision cameras can analyze surface anatomy, in just seconds using only visible light. This analysis produces a full-color 3D reconstruction of the surgical site consisting of hundreds of thousands of reference points. The surgeon then defines the area of work by using both the 7D image and the patient’s pre-operative CT scan.
SSM Health St. Joseph is the first hospital in not only the region, but the state of Missouri to have this technology available to patients. To learn more or to make an appointment to see Dr. Graven, visit ssmhealth.com or call 636-332-8455. His office is located at 1601 Wentzville Parkway.