Veterans General Hospital in Bangkok, run by the War Veterans Organisation of Thailand, carried out what its technology supplier describes as Thailand's first augmented-reality-guided spine surgery performed using C-arm imaging alone. The operating surgeon, Dr. Chaiyos Chaichankul, wore a transparent 3D augmented reality head-mounted display that superimposed the patient's spinal anatomy, bones, tissues and organs, directly onto his view of the operating field, so he could keep his eyes on the patient instead of turning to a navigation monitor. Optical trackers on the patient and on the surgical instruments kept the overlay registered in place, and the system builds its 3D reconstruction from only a few C-arm X-ray shots rather than a full intraoperative CT scan.
The navigation system is the Caduceus S, made by the Taiwanese and US augmented reality medical technology company SURGLASSES, which holds a US FDA 510(k) clearance as well as Taiwan TFDA and Thailand FDA approvals. It was registered and brought into Thailand by the company's exclusive local distributor, Goodlifeintertrade Co., Ltd.
The patient was 78 years old and had presented with leg numbness, radiating pain and difficulty walking. After the operation the leg numbness resolved and the pain was substantially reduced. The patient was able to sit up and walk the day after surgery, was discharged four days later, and returned to work within two weeks.
