G. Enislidis et al., COMPUTED INTRAOPERATIVE NAVIGATION GUIDANCE - A PRELIMINARY-REPORT ONA NEW TECHNIQUE, British journal of oral & maxillofacial surgery, 35(4), 1997, pp. 271-274
Objective-To assess the value of a computer-assisted three-dimensional
guidance system (Virtual Patient System) in maxillofacial operations.
Design-Laboratory and open clinical study. Setting-Teaching Hospital,
Austria. Subjects-6 patients undergoing various procedures including
removal of foreign body (n=3) and biopsy, maxillary advancement, and i
nsertion of implants (n=1 each). Interventions-Storage of computed tom
ographic (CT) pictures on an optical disc, and imposition of intraoper
ative video images on to these. The resulting display is shown to the
surgeon on a micromonitor in his head-up display for guidance during t
he operations. Main outcome measures-To improve orientation during com
plex or minimally invasive maxillofacial procedures and to make such o
perations easier and less traumatic. Results-Successful transferral of
computed navigation technology into an operation room environment and
positive evaluation of the method by the surgeons involved. Conclusio
ns-Computer-assisted three-dimensional guidance systems have the poten
tial for making complex or minimally invasive procedures easier to do,
thereby reducing postoperative morbidity.