Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Health invested several million dollars to equip two of its hospitals with spine surgery robots, YakTriNews.com reports.
Three highlights:
1. The physicians at LifePoint Health's Pasco, Wash.-based Lourdes Medical Center and Kennewick, Wash.-based Trios Health Southridge Hospital are "ecstatic" about the investment, said Richard Moller, RN, the surgical director for both hospitals, in an interview with YakTriNews.com. Both hospitals expect to begin using the robots in February.
2. Each robot features a mechanical arm for holding tools used in posterior spine surgeries. The robots are designed to help spine surgeons preoperatively map out procedures and improve precision with real-time visualization. They are mobile, meaning they can be used in different rooms.
3. Surgeons at Lourdes, where about 300 spine surgeries are performed each year, have been waiting about two and a half years for robotic technology.