Neuronavigation: geneology, reality, and prospects

Abstract

<jats:p>Currently, neuronavigation is an indivisible and indispensable part of the neurosurgical reality with a significant potential impact in each neurosurgical procedure. The history of neuronavigation is quite short (&lt; 3 decades), but full of highly promising achievements. The advent of neuronavigation would be unimaginable without the development of imaging technology, electronics, robotics, and space technology. The history of neuroradiology is reviewed briefly parallel with the detailed evolution of frame-based stereotaxy and its successor—neuronavigation. The historic milestones and the state of the art of neuronavigation are discussed in a genealogical manner. The future trends of neuronavigation as integrated with intraoperative CT, MR, and ultrasonography, as well as with robotic systems are outlined.</jats:p>

Mobile Computed Tomography : Early Experience in Korea

“…Over the past couple of decades, intraoperative neuronavigation has been used widely as a standard procedure for precise guidance, orientation and localization in most neurosurgical operations 1,2,9) . The importance of obtaining realtime intraoperative imaging is being emphasized increasingly instead of being limited to neuronavigation.…”

Recent advances in pituitary tumor management

“…In this regard, the lateral skull fluoroscopy has been a standard in TSS and for the past 40 years has been used to augment visualization of the sella turcica and outline tumor morphology in a sagittal plane. The utility of intraoperative fluoroscopic navigation has been well documented for pituitary lesions and is still used in many centers throughout the world [3,5,[31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42]. Unfortunately, lateral fluoroscopy has several limitations: it provides only two-dimensional information with an absence of critical information regarding midline and right-left lateral anatomical relationships; soft tissue is poorly delineated and prior surgery or bony destruction by tumor may limit accurate identification of location; accuracy is dependent upon a 'true' lateral projection and movement of the patient head requires repositioning of the fluoroscope; lastly, the patient, surgeon and operating room personnel are exposed to ionizing radiation, often necessitating the use of cumbersome lead aprons throughout the case.…”

Estudo de acurácia em cirurgia assistida por navegação na revisão cirúrgica de deformidade vertebral

“…A navegação, de inicio, foi utilizada por Reinhart e Barned em 1993, na neurocirurgia, somente depois aplicada à cirurgia da coluna vertebral, nos pedículos lombares, torácico e cervical. A cirurgia assistida por computação representa um avanço tecnológico e científico, proporcionando mais segurança e melhores resultados, principalmente, nas cirurgias complexas 19 . Nosso estudo tem como objetivo demonstrar as vantagens do auxílio da cirurgia com navegação em reabordagens de deformidades espinais, verificando a acurácia deste método.…”