NAPLES, Fla. — A new robotic system is helping doctors in Collier County perform complex brain and spinal surgeries. Physician's Regional Hospital recently unveiled the ExcelsiusGPS robot, a groundbreaking technology that is among the first of its kind in the area.
The innovative robot, produced by Globus Medical, uses a combination of GPS and advanced imaging to guide surgeons during procedures that require precision.
On Friday, Dr. Amanda Sacino, a neurosurgeon, invited Fox 4 for an exclusive look at the system, which she says is among the first of its kind in Collier County.
WATCH THE FULL REPORT TO SEE THE ROBOT IN ACTION:
"And what this does is it basically shows me on the screen where I can make different cuts in the bone to access the tumor, so that I’m only taking out exactly what I need to remove the spine tumor and nothing more," Dr. Sacino explained, showcasing the intricate process of the robot.
Dr. Sacino trained at Johns Hopkins University and specializes in robotic-assisted surgeries. "The inventor of this robot is the chief of spine surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and he's also my mentor," Sacino explained.
Southwest Florida's aging population stands to benefit the most from this technology, which makes surgeries less invasive, faster, and safer, according to Dr. Sacino.
"Where typically before, when you were doing a much bigger surgery, you'd have to tell patients at a certain age, 'I'm sorry, I don't think you'll be able to tolerate it.' But now, you can help more patients," Sacino explained.
Sacino says while the new tech is promising, the future of robots is even brighter.
"I think things are just going to keep growing more and more," she said. "Initially, this started out for spine surgery, and now you’re able to use it for brain surgery. And I think as AI progresses, we’ll be able to pair this more with AI and automate it further. The sky’s the limit in terms of what we’ll be able to do to help patients with it," she added.
