Robotic Assisted Spinal Surgery

Dr. Ron Lehman is the Chief of Minimally Invasive, Degenerative and Robotic Spinal Surgery at The Spine Hospital at Columbia University/NYP in New York, NY. He is skilled in the techniques of using these tools to create a positive outcome for his patient when indicated. Dr. Lehman uses Robotic assistance as a tool to enhance positioning accuracy, minimize invasiveness and reduces radiation exposure to the patient and surgical team.

The robot is a bone mounted, miniature ROBOT designed to guide Dr. Lehman toward accurate placement of implants. The robot is a system offering surgical tool guidance while leaving the actual surgical operation in Dr. Lehman’s hands.

Robotic assistance surgical workflow:

  • Preoperative Planning: pre op Computed Tomography (CT) scan is used to plan for optimal positioning and dimensions of screws and implants
  • Imaging: 2 fluoroscopic images are taken in the operating room in order to synchronize to the pre-operative CT scan
  • Preparation and Screw insertion: the robot aligns itself with the appropriate anatomy base on the pre-planned CT. Dr. Lehman can then use the robot to guide accurate implant placement.

What are the advantages of spinal fusion with robotic assistance?

The robotic assistance guides Dr. Lehman’s tools and implants in Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) and open surgery. The Robot assistance can ensure accuracy in implant placement. The use of Robotic assistance decreases the need for fluoroscopy/X-rays during surgery. Robotic assistance provides increased safety and precision in spinal surgery. It allows Dr. Lehman to perform detailed planning before surgery. During the operation Dr. Lehman does the actual surgery/work. The Robot assists in guiding Dr. Lehman’s tools to place implants safely with the highest level of accuracy.