Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/244291
"This is cutting edge, and we're very fortunate to have it in Colorado. I think it's a real game changer." Vrba wasn't afraid. "Dr. Ibrahim told me he would be as conservative or as aggressive as I wanted him to be." In her case, structural damage to the vertebra, combined with debilitating pain that impeded everyday activities, qualified surgery as the right option. Knowing her life had to change, Vrba underwent surgery in September 2013. Ibrahim used a form of robotic guidance called Mazor Renaissance™ to repair the structural damage to Vrba's spine, which included a stenotic, or narrowed, lumbar vertebra. The way Ibrahim explained it, the technology didn't faze Vrba. "It was interesting," she says. "Knowing how precise things could be, I was comfortable. It was advancement." "The primary application for the Mazor technology — which I consider wonderful technology — is for minimally invasive surgeries and patients with severe deformities such as scoliosis, kyphosis, or structural injuries," Ibrahim says. In Vrba's case, Ibrahim had to remove what was left of the vertebra, implant screws and plates to stabilize her spine, and then use synthetic bone to fill the gap. Of course, any reconstructive spine surgery will require planning and precision, and there are other robotics systems out there. But the Mazor Renaissance computerized guidance level of precision is "uncanny," Ibrahim says. There are about 25 Mazor systems being used in the US. "This is cutting edge, and we're very fortunate to have it in Colorado. I think it's a real game changer." HERE'S HOW IT WORKS Using the system's virtual 3-D environment, the surgeon creates a blueprint, or template, to plan where the instrumentation, or surgical tools, will go. Next, the surgeon mounts a guide to the patient's spine, which ensures accurate placement of the implants (such as screws or plates). Once the mount is complete, the surgeon next uses fluoroscopy, or moving X-ray images, of the patient's spine, to synchronize to the preoperative blueprint. That's where the "uncanny" precision comes in. When the blueprint and CT scan are synchronized, the tools and implants are guided according to the plan. Utilizing proprietary software, the robot guides the tools and implants to the pre-operatively planned anatomical location within 1.5mm accuracy. What would have taken about four hours for a procedure like Vrba's took about one and a half hours. And because the surgeon uses a 3-D blueprint, the patient's exposure to radiation is significantly reduced. Trauma to surrounding soft tissue around the spine also is minimized, so recovery is faster, and the patient can get up and get moving more quickly, Ibrahim says. Catherine Vrba returned to work part time just two weeks after surgery. By October she was back to work full time. She and her husband take their dogs, an Australian Shepherd and a Rottweiler/Shepherd mix, for a mile walk after work, and Catherine is working with a physical therapist to get back up to running speed. Ibrahim is confident that in time she'll resume long-distance running. "I don't think I'll be running a marathon anytime soon," Vrba says, "but a half-marathon might be doable." 720-851-2000 15530 E Broncos Pkwy, Ste 100 Centennial, Colorado South Broadway Medical Center 7261 S Broadway, Ste 101B Littleton, Colorado southdenverspine.com Medical Profile • Health and Wellness Magazine • 19 51