Nicholas Shepard, MD, of Nashville-based Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance, completed the first augmented reality-assisted spine surgery in the state, the practice said in a Dec. 8 tweet.
AR technology in spine surgery is designed to improve precision, decrease radiation exposure and improve outcomes, the tweet said. Dr. Shepard specializes in minimally invasive surgery and wrote more than 35 peer-reviewed publications, according to TOA's website.
Augmented reality-assisted spine surgery has become more widespread. Earlier in December, Frank Cammisa, MD, debuted the technology in New York state.