Ehsan Jazini, MD, and Christopher Good, MD, used patient-specific spinal rods and an artificial intelligence-derived preoperative surgical plan to operate on a 17-year-old scoliosis patient in Virginia.
The July 26 procedure at Reston Hospital Center fused 14 levels of the patient's spine, which had a 60-degree curvature that showed no improvement after six months of wearing a brace, the practice said.
Before surgery, patient-specific UNiD rods were pre-bent to fit the patient's anatomy using an AI-driven algorithm that is designed to precisely align patients' spines and reduce the risk of revision surgery.
In traditional spine surgery, surgeons manually bend rods in the operating room, which can leave larger variability in outcomes, Virginia Spine Institute said in a July 26 news release.
Drs. Jazini and Good also used Adaptive Spine Intelligence — a predictive modelling system that collects pre-, intra- and postoperative data to improve patient outcomes — and an augmented reality system to assist with accurate pedicle screw placement.
"Spine surgery is evolving and becoming more personalized," Dr. Jazini said. "We are excited that we can offer this to our patients, and not only harness the power of these three technologies — AR, AI and personalized metal implants, but to pioneer their combined use and improve outcomes."