Ultimately, technology is here to stay. As a mentor once counseled me “Never be the first to incorporate new technology and never be the last.” Having prior experience with placement of hardware the old-fashioned way has prepared me for knowing when to trust technology and when I should question the data. I often fear for new surgeons who have trained only with new technology and have no experience with the freehand technique for implant placement. What happens when the power runs out on the computer or somebody accidently unplugs the device in mid-procedure?
As a spine surgeon who began to place screws in the late 1990’s and performed some of the first kyphoplasty’s in the U.S., technology has made life easier in-regards to screw placement in Scoliosis, spinal trauma and spine tumors. The ability to perform outpatient neck fusions, sacro-iliac fusion and microdiscectomy surgery; has greatly improved the outcomes for our patients.
So to answer the question “Does technology make spine surgery safer and quicken recovery? “……….MAYBE