Image Guided Surgery

Image Guided Surgery provides precise information about the location of vital structures deep within the skull during surgery. Image Guided navigation uses a GPS-like system to visualize the surgical instrument; in real-time, overlaid on the CT scan images. Accuracy is critical because skull base surgeries are done in areas of complicated three dimensional anatomy, with proximity to vital organs such as nerves and blood vessels

Preoperative MRI or CT images are linked to intraoperative anatomy.  At the beginning of surgery, these images are linked to the patient through a registration protocol and neuronavigational equipment.  Once this is completed the surgeon can use the image guided technology to protect vital structures, and thoroughly treat pathology and remove tumors.  Image Guided surgery is not employed for every case, but can add useful information particularly in complicated skull base cases, such as meningiomas, acoustic neuromas or glomus tumors.