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S U R G I C A L
N A V I G A T I O N
RESEARCH REVIEW
Image Guidance Reduces Complications
I
mage-guided sinus surgery lowers risks of serious
complications compared with conventional surgical
techniques, according to a study in the journal
Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
(tinyurl.com/kw4mmd3).
The researchers assessed the technology's efficacy in
limiting risks of major complications, including inadvertent
entry into an area beyond the nasal cavity or paranasal
Brent A. Senior, MD
sinus, post-op bleeding requiring surgical or angiographic
intervention and aborting the procedure for any surgical
STUDIES SHOW Image guidance is a safer technique for
sinus surgery.
reason. They also reviewed outcomes for specific orbital
and intracranial injury, major hemorrhage, ability to com-
plete the operation and needed revision surgery.
Their analysis of 55 studies and nearly 63,000 cases showed patients undergoing
image-guided surgery are less likely (relative risk = 0.48) than patients undergoing nonimage-guided sinus surgery to suffer complications.
The researchers note, "Image-guided surgery, although not necessary for routine
sinus surgeries, has enormous advantages, and its use needs to be defined, acknowledged and supported where appropriate."
— Daniel Cook
and the system's unit. A few potential drawbacks: Surgeons must use proprietary instruments and surgical teams must keep metal items (towel clips, for
example) away from the patient in order to avoid interfering with the system's
electromagnetic field. Electromagnetic systems allow for a less cluttered OR
but, despite that benefit, these systems aren't commonly used.
• Infrared systems demand a clear line of sight between instruments and the system's imaging unit. Fiducial markers are placed on the patient's forehead and
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SUPPLEMENT
TO
O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | J A N U A R Y 2014
