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LONG BEACH, Calif., Aug. 26, 2020 – MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach is the only children’s hospital in California and one of only a few hospitals in the U.S. to offer ExcelsiusGPS® – robotic navigation technology – for pediatric patients.
The ExcelsiusGPS system creates a surgical plan based on a child’s unique anatomy, guiding the robotic arm to a specific region of the spine, like a planned pathway on GPS. The pediatric spine surgeon uses this pathway to accurately conduct spine surgery with the utmost precision.
Pediatric orthopedic surgeons who are trained to use the technology can now perform back and spine procedures that may result in faster recovery with less blood loss and less muscle damage. ExcelsiusGPS is designed to improve accuracy and optimize patient care by using robotics and navigation.
“As spine surgeons, we have an exceedingly small margin for error as we navigate a narrow diameter in which to place spinal screws,” says Emory Chang, M.D., pediatric orthopedic surgeon, Miller Children’s & Women’s. “On either side are ‘danger elements,’ including delicate nerves that can be damaged. With this technology, our placement is exact every time, increasing accuracy and safety. That accuracy is particularly important, since children’s spines are still growing, and often deforming at the same time.”
ExcelsiusGPS provides improved visualization of patient anatomy through the procedure to help optimize patient treatment. This revolutionary robotic navigation platform created by Globus Medical, Inc., is the world’s first technology to combine a rigid robotic arm and full navigation capabilities into one adaptable platform for accurate trajectory alignment in spine surgery.
“In pediatric spine surgery, the screw has been one of the strongest tools we have to correct deformities,” says Peter Hahn, M.D., pediatric orthopedic surgeon, Miller Children’s & Women’s. “The ExcelsiusGPS system allows us to gain control of the spine as we use a three-point fixation tool to fix however many screws the patient needs to help heal their spine deformities. This increases safety for patients by helping in the prevention of spinal cord and nerve root injuries.”
Dr. Chang and Dr. Hahn are part of a team of specially trained pediatric orthopedic surgeons led by Dr. Torin Cunningham at the Orthopedic Center at Miller Children’s & Women’s. The Orthopedic Center cares for pediatric spine trauma, spinal deformity and musculoskeletal abnormalities, as well as acute and chronic orthopedic care for infants, children and adolescents with skeletal (bone) maturity.
Miller Children’s & Women’s also is one of the only area hospitals to have the EOS® Imaging System, which uses two to three times less radiation than a standard X-ray to provide extremely detailed, high-quality images of patients in a standing position.
EOS can be used for children with hip, knee or spine conditions. Because of the lower dose of radiation, it is ideal for children who require multiple X-rays during the course of their treatment, such as patients with scoliosis and other spine disorders.
“This combination of advanced imaging and surgical technology vastly enhances outcomes for pediatric patients requiring spine surgery, and is not available anywhere else in the state,” says Graham Tse, M.D., chief medical officer, Miller Children’s & Women’s.
