As the use of robotics and computer-navigated surgery becomes more common in hospitals and in spinal surgery, medical professionals are helping to improve its accuracy, precision, and predictability. There are drawbacks that are specific to robotic surgery, such as the surgery taking longer, but some professionals believe using robots has reached the tipping point where it will become more beneficial going forward. This type of research has an increasing number of benefits, while the risks and drawbacks are increasingly addressed and fixed. A study in the June 2021 edition of Journal of Spine Surgery recorded data from 65 adult patients who underwent robotic-navigated posterior spinal fusion. A majority of the 364 planned surgeries were successfully done through robotic means. The percentage of breeches was very low, and one patient suffered more serious problems. The learning curve was based on the first few cases, and it showed improvements in implementation over time. This will be used as a guide to help spinal surgeons better learn about the processes and to refine their techniques.
If you would like to learn more, check out Robotic Spine Surgery Has Reached Tipping Point, But Learning Curve Still Exists: HSS Study.