be a challenge or dangerous. For example, one side of the nose may
not be a perfect image of the other side of the nose. I'll make a note of
that. It helps me review and enhances patient safety.
"It's a fantastic piece of equipment," he adds. "It's easy to use, it's
straightforward, and the staff can set it up easily. It makes a good sur-
geon better."
Fiagon Navigation System
Fiagon's Navigation System uses an electromagnetic tracking system
to locate surgical instruments during an operation relative to a
patient's CT scan. A recent addition to the U.S. market, Fiagon offers a
literal flexibility other systems don't have. Instead of relying on a han-
dle-based tracking system, its "chip on the tip" technology lets sur-
geons bend instruments without compromising navigation. That, says
the company, reduces risk and shortens operation times by reducing
instrument exchanges. "The (FlexPointer 1.5) instruments are mal-
leable because the sensor is in the tip," says Martin J. Citardi, MD,
FACS, chairman of the department of otolaryngology at the University of
Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston. "That's an advantage."
The small-footprint system also includes a micro-sensor guide wire
that can pass through other instruments and provide continuous moni-
toring of the wire tip location. "Navigation on the spot," the company
calls it. That can help with the accurate placement of, for example, bal-
loon sinuplasty devices, says Dr. Citardi.
Karl Storz NAV1
Karl Storz's newest entry offers several attractive features, says Dr.
Citardi. For starters, instruments are equipped with reflective glass
spheres that can be autoclaved, so they're reusable. "Most systems have
a fairly significant disposable cost-per-case," says Dr. Citardi, "so there
9 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • A P R I L 2 0 1 6
