Navigating the Next Generation of Brain and Spine Surgery

Adventist Health Glendale has become a leader in the field of robotic guidance and navigation in brain and spine surgery through the acquisition of ExcelsiusGPS. This robotic technology is designed to improve safety and accuracy within the operating room by giving surgeons greater visibility, which improves patient outcomes after surgery.

“With these tools, we can do advanced surgical techniques with much smaller incisions, so healing time is significantly shorter,” says Yaser Hamed Badr, MD, a board-certified neurosurgeon and spine surgeon at Adventist Health Glendale.

A tool for safer operations

Expert surgeons at Adventist Health Glendale started using ExcelsiusGPS in 2021, and today the robotic system is drawing wide interest. People are choosing Adventist Health Glendale for its commitment to innovation and being one of the first in the region to deploy the technology. The best-in-class system combines surgical GPS navigation and robotic guidance to improve the accuracy of drilling and screw placement during spine surgery. “The extra level of safety makes it attractive for patients,” Dr. Badr says.

GPS guidance for skilled surgeons

With ExcelsiusGPS, surgeons can visualize, plan and navigate patient anatomy in real time using a robotic arm. For complex spine procedures, providers like Scott Lee, MD, a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon, can take on challenging cases with more certainty. For instance, the robotic system assists with complex rod-bending to fit patients who have scoliosis and other similar conditions. Surgeons operating on the spine can use minimally invasive techniques to separate the muscles of the spine rather than cut them, for example. Additionally, the system makes it easier to identify nerves and improve accuracy for operations to treat chronic back pain.

“It does put patients at ease,” Dr. Lee explains, because the system combines superior technology with a surgeon’s experience and knowledge.

World-class technology

ExcelsiusGPS is only part of the focus on innovation in the operating suite at Adventist Health Glendale “With ongoing advances in robotic surgery, many surgeons can confidently take on even the most difficult cases,” says board-certified neurosurgeon Jared Ament, MD, who specializes in complex and minimally invasive brain and spine surgery.

In the end, these surgical innovations are all about helping people live fuller lives through reduced recovery times and better outcomes. “Procedures with rapidly evolving robotics tools help put patients at ease during surgery and beyond,” Dr. Ament says.