Computer aided surgery with special focus on neuronavigation

The term computer aided surgery (CAS) is now mainly used for an intraoperat ive navigation within the body combining a 3D-digitizer with preoperative C T/MR-imaging. This method has become indispensable in neurosurgery for the removal of deep-seated and/or critically located intracranial tumors and va scular malformations. Also ENT surgery within the paranasal sinuses and set ting of pedicle screws in orthopedic surgery profit greatly from the high t argeting precision of GAS. And still a growing number of surgical disciplin es are employing this method. Today infrared-optical 3D-digitizers are stat e of the art, but electromagnetic spatial digitizing using novel, miniature localizers is promising, too. The results of our CAS study 1994-mid-1997 w ith 50 patients suffering from small intracranial lesions are presented. (C ) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.