New Robotic Technology for Spine Surgery

Recently, Los Robles Health System announced the acquisition of a Globus Excelsius GPS Robotic Navigation System, somewhat lightheartedly referred to as the “GloBot”, that will aid surgeons in conducting spinal surgery. As noted in the Thousand Oaks Acorn, Dr. Erik Spayde, orthopedic spine surgeon at the St. Charles Spine Institute and Chief of Spinal Surgery at the Los Robles Regional Medical Center, was the lead surgeon for the first surgery performed on this new platform at Los Robles. 

“This technology has revolutionized the way spine surgery is performed for patients with spinal disorders,” said Spayde, who intends to utilize the GloBot in his treatment of spinal problems moving forward.

The advantages of robotic surgery have been recognized in many surgical applications. While there is no replacing a surgeon’s knowledge and judgment, the GloBot’s robotic arms and GPS navigational capabilities can enhance the ability of surgeons to do very precise work. Using advanced imaging systems and with the capability of calculating measurements and alignments with minute accuracy instantaneously, the GloBot can help surgeons to navigate and work more effectively with a patient’s own unique anatomy.

The GloBot also offers the ability to monitor the patient’s neurological responses, giving surgeons real-time information and feedback that can ultimately lead to better surgical outcomes.

In addition to enhancing the surgeon’s abilities in practical ways, the use of the GloBot provides several advantages to patients who are undergoing surgery with GloBot’s assistance. It is expected that using the device will reduce patient exposure to radiation, and allow for even less invasion into the body than current techniques for arthroscopic treatment of spinal problems. This should enable doctors to reduce the length of surgeries, which means needing less anesthesia and moving patients more quickly through the surgical suite. And all of this should lead to less time in the hospital, less recovery time, and, what is welcome to many patients and their insurers, lower costs for obtaining necessary care.

Dr. Erik Spayde and the staff at St. Charles Spine Institute are excited about this new technology, and how it will further help their patients with spinal problems to truly obtain relief from pain and loss of mobility.  

If you are suffering from back pain whether, from injury, age, degenerative disease, or other conditions, there are a number of effective remedies available today that were only imagined just a few decades ago. The GloBot is just one of the latest advancements in medical science that provides medical specialists with the means to remedy your problem.


For more information, or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Spayde or any of his colleagues or staff, contact the St. Charles Spine Institute today.

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