MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center has taken another significant leap in advancing spine care in the community by becoming the first hospital in California to adopt the Stryker Q Spine Guidance 5 System with Copilot—a form of artificial intelligence (AI) for auto-segmentation & surgical planning—in conjunction with the Airo Mobile CT. This advanced technology enhances surgical precision within sub-millimeter accuracy and efficiency, allowing for a more customized approach to patient care.
Spinal procedures require extreme accuracy, and the Q Guidance System with Copilot integrates sophisticated algorithms, advanced optical tracking capabilities, and state-of-the-art instrumentation. This allows spine surgeons to navigate complex procedures with improved confidence and precision, ultimately leading to better patient care and faster recovery times.
“We completed the first case at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center, making us the first hospital in California to use Q Guidance 5 with Copilot,” says Brandon Ortega, M.D., spine surgeon, The Spine Health Center, MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center. “We are committed to adopting innovative technologies that set new standards for patient care to ensure better outcomes and quality standards. The detail and precision allow us to take less time, and to ensure that we get it right, even a slight move or bump and everything stops – this technology really has the patient’s best interest at its core.”
This next-generation system enables both open and minimally invasive spine procedures, offering surgeons enhanced navigation through advanced tracking with the 4th-generation FP8000 camera. The camera’s active and passive hybrid optical tracking ensures exceptional flexibility and speed, while the dual-PC system provides real-time patient data processing with minimal latency.
The Spine Guidance Software takes surgical planning and execution to the next level. Its features include smart segmentation: automated algorithms that map the spine to the bone surface level, enhancing visualization, automatic screw suggestion: on-screen guidance tailored to the patient, ensuring accurate screw placement with verification and adjustment options, and gesture recognition: a modern interface that enhances intraoperative navigation efficiency.
“When paired with the Airo TruCT scanner, the Q Guidance System simplifies surgical workflows,” says Dr. Ortega. “The scanner captures long spine constructs in a single, high-quality scan within seconds, ensuring precise imaging and navigation guidance throughout the procedure.”
The system’s customizable dashboards and dual-monitor displays empower surgeons to tailor their workflows to their preferences. The touchscreen monitor provides intuitive, tablet-like control in the operating room, while a secondary monitor allows for seamless navigation control outside the sterile field. These enhancements streamline processes and reduce operating room time, directly benefiting patient outcomes.
“The Q Guidance System truly streamlines every aspect of spine surgery, from preoperative planning to intraoperative execution,” said Dr. Ortega. “It’s precision, flexibility, and efficiency enable us to optimize outcomes for our patients, ensuring they receive the highest standard of care.”
By implementing the Q Guidance System, Long Beach Medical Center not only reinforces its position as a leader in advanced surgical technologies but also demonstrates its dedication to providing patient-centered care. As a High Performing Hospital in Spinal Fusion and one of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Regional Hospitals, Long Beach Medical Center continues to set benchmarks for quality and innovation.
With the addition of Stryker’s Q Guidance System, MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center continues to elevate its spine surgery program, ensuring patients receive the most precise and personalized care available. Learn more by calling (562) 933-4014.
