Computers in imaging and guided surgery

The growing demand for complex and minimally invasive surgical interventions is driving the search for ways to use computer-based information technology as a link between the pre-operative plan and the tools utilized by the surgeon. Computers, used in conjunction with advanced surgical assist devices, will fundamentally alter the way that are procedures are carried out in 21st Century operating rooms. Computer Integrated Surgery (CIS) systems make it possible to carry out surgical interventions that are more precise and less invasive than conventional procedures, while judiciously tracking and logging all relevant data. This data logging, coupled with appropriate tracking of patient outcomes, will make possible a totally new level of quantitative patient outcome assessment and treatment improvement analogous to “total quality management” in manufacturing.