Hickory, N.C.-based Frye Regional Medical Center marked its first robot-assisted minimally invasive spine surgery, WHKY reported Jan. 30.
Mark Ishak, DO, performed the milestone case on Jan. 24. Two other neurosurgeons at the hospital are trained to use the robot.
"Robotic guidance and navigation open up new possibilities for us, allowing us to approach spine surgery with greater precision," Barry Kaplan, MD, another neurosurgeon at the hospital said in the report. "With our new spine robot, we can offer our patients a minimally invasive approach that not only reduces pain and scarring, but also promotes faster recovery."