A new treatment option for spinal fusion surgery is now available in the Northwest Valley.

Abrazo Arrowhead Campus has expanded its operating room robotics with the addition of the Globus ExcelsiusGPS system for minimally invasive and complex spinal fusion procedures.

The robotic system is designed to assist surgeons with hardware placement while minimizing disruption to surrounding tissue. Using intraoperative x-ray images and computer navigation, a robotic arm follows coordinates similar to a GPS roadmap to assist surgeons in the operating room.

Chronic back pain is one of the most common medical concerns, affecting around 16 million adults in the U.S. It is costly to the patient as well as employers, as 83 million days of work are lost per year due to back pain, according to the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute.

“A typical candidate for this type of surgery would be someone who is living with severe back and radiating leg pain with surgical indications for fusion surgery, that has failed non-operative treatment and is seeking improved quality of life,” said Dr. Kenneth Hood, a spine surgeon at Abrazo Arrowhead Campus who has performed more than 300 fusion operations with the robotic technology at Abrazo.

“There have been huge advancements in spine surgery over the past decade, and one of the things that excites me the most is the ability to integrate new technology that improves operative efficiency, increases accuracy and ultimately leads to improved patient outcomes,” noted Dr. Hood. “With the Globus system, the surgeon is still performing the operation, and the robot is a guide.”

On the day of surgery, intraoperative fluoroscopic images of the spine are merged with a CT scan of the spine obtained prior to the procedure. The images are merged together to provide a very accurate roadmap of the patient’s anatomy allowing precise planning of optimal size and location of implants, he explained.

The following procedures are treatment options where the robotic GPS technology may be used: Posterior Fusion, Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion, Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion, Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion or Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion.

“We are very excited to offer this option for Northwest Valley residents who are considering spinal fusion surgery. Acquisition of this advanced technology for spine procedures is the latest addition to our hospital’s surgical robotics capabilities,” said Abrazo Arrowhead Campus CEO Stephen Garner.

Abrazo Health brought the technology to Abrazo West Campus in 2021 before expanding the robot’s use to Abrazo Arrowhead Campus in 2023.

For more information about Abrazo Health hospitals, take a free health risk assessment or to find a doctor, visit AbrazoHealth.com.