Riverside Healthcare writes next chapter in surgical tech with new equipment
November 16, 2020
Precision is of the utmost importance during surgery. This is even more evident during the delicate procedures involving the brain and spine. The steady hands of Riverside Neurosurgeon, Juan Jimenez, MD have successfully navigated the network of nerves in thousands of patient surgeries.
This month, Dr. Jimenez was joined by a new assistant, Cirq, a revolutionary robot developed by Brainlab, designed to aid physicians in surgery. The Cirq, dubbed “Cirqules” after the Roman god known for strength, has joined the team of leading-edge technologies Riverside Healthcare utilizes to deliver expert patient care. Inspired by the form of the human arm, Cirq is a reliable and intuitive assistant during surgical procedures.
As the region's only spine experts, Riverside is the first hospital in Illinois and the Midwest to use the Cirq, and the first Minimally Invasive Spine Center in the country to use the robot for operations. Minimally invasive spine surgery is different from the traditional “open approach” in that it results in less pain, less scarring and often faster recovery for patients.
“The Cirq helps to set Riverside at the forefront of medicine as we continue to utilize technology and develop methods that most would expect to see in large metropolitan research hospitals,” comments Jimenez, who also serves as medical director of Riverside Neurosciences Institute.
In minimally invasive surgeries, robotic technologies assist surgeons by helping to achieve even higher levels of accuracy. Human hands, even when holding completely still, require exceptional concentration and effort. On longer procedures, fatigue becomes a real issue for surgeons.
With robotic technologies surgeons can focus on the delicate skillful parts of the procedure, while the Cirq becomes like a third arm, aiding in accuracy and placements. During an operation, Dr. Jimenez moves and locks the robot into place to guide and stabilize surgical steps. By having an extra, software-driven hand, he can focus on the procedure with both human hands.
“The amount of effort when using the Cirq is impressively less, allowing me to give my full attention to the precision needed,” offers Jimenez. “This is essential to the success of the surgery and greatly benefits our patients’ recoveries.”
Dr. Jimenez controls the Cirq robot at all times so patients can rest assured that he is in charge of every movement the robot makes. Additionally, the Cirq integrates with live surgical navigation provided by Brainlab’s Curve navigation system.
The Curve when coupled with the Airo intraoperative CT provide advanced visualization giving GPS like features of the human body during minimally invasive surgery. This gives Dr. Jimenez a visible image of where he is working, even in areas where he can’t see with the human eye, providing the incredible precision needed.
To learn more about Riverside Neurosciences Institute neurosurgeons Dr. Juan Jimenez and Dr. Nicholas Rossi and the services and treatment options they provide as the region's Only Spine Experts, call (815) 932-7200 or visit riversidehealthcare.org.