Surgeons in Canada are using augmented reality and mixed reality in the operating theatre, to help with planning and real-time positioning in patients who require ear, nose and throat surgery.
McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) says it is the first institution in North America to use the new technology, known as Target Guided Surgery (TGS), in sinus operations.
MUHC hopes that TGS will improve patient outcomes and safety in this complex surgery, which is performed in close proximity to the optic nerve and the brain.
The technology, developed by German company Scopis, integrates seamlessly with the operating room video endoscopy system. It can also be used in craniofacial, spinal and neurological operations.
Dr Marc Tewfik, MUHC Director of Rhinology and Assistant Professor in the department of Otolaryngology at McGill University, performed the first surgery using the new system. “One of the main benefits of using TGS is the ability to identify critical anatomical structures and to plan the safe placement of surgical instruments,” Dr Tewfik said. “Endoscopic sinus surgery is particularly complex and in addition to improving safety, this technology reduces surgical time.”
Dr Tewfik explains more about the advantages of TGS in this video.
“Surgical planning, as well as the actual surgery, can be recorded by the Scopis system,” added Dr. Nader Sadeghi, who is chair and chief of the McGill and MUHC departments of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. “This feature turns any operation into educational content that we can use to teach residents.”
