Virtua Health, the largest health system in southern New Jersey, has introduced a significant advancement in spine surgery. Virtua Health is the first organization in the Philadelphia and South Jersey region to offer robotic-assisted spine surgery with a GPS-like navigation system designed to enh ance safety and improve outcomes. Officials said the navigation software, called Spine Guidance by Stryker, helps surgeons “create safe zones” where surgical tools can be blocked from entering, minimizing the risk of damage to surrounding structures. “It’s the only software on the market that allows us to set up safe zones, which enables us to relieve pressure on compressed nerves more safely and efficiently,” said Dr. James Sanfilippo, vice president of clinical operations for musculoskeletal services at Virtua Health. Robotic-assisted spine procedures remain limited nationwide, and Virtua is among the first in the country to provide this option. “Our decades of experience performing other types of robotic-assisted orthopedic surgery have positioned us to readily embrace new forms of the technology as they’re introduced,” said Dr. Sanfilippo, a spine surgeon with Virtua Reconstructive Orthopedics. “We work closely with robotic-device manufacturers, in this case Stryker, to ensure we can offer the best options to our patients across our region and beyond.” Officials shared that Dr. Sanfilippo and his team use Stryker’s Mako Spine robotic surgery platform, along with its Spine Guidance software. Robotic-assisted spine surgery with Spine Guidance offers increased precision, officials said, which can optimize safety, help preserve healthy tissue, reduce cutting, and make recovery faster and easier compared to other spine-surgery techniques.   ...read more read less