For Patients

Spine Disorders

One of the most vital parts of the human body, the spinal column  supports our trunk and makes all of our movements possible. Spinal disorders that often result in disabling back pain or paralysis are among the most common medical conditions with significant impact on our health-related quality of life.

While the majority of back pain can be treated with non-surgical methods, some patients will require surgery to alleviate the pain. Today’s minimally invasive procedures ensure that operating and recovery times are dramatically reduced, allowing you to return to life without back pain as soon as possible.

Brainlab technologies are widely used in the field of computer assisted surgery (CAS) to aid your doctor during the different treatment phases.

Spine Navigation

Computer assisted surgery (CAS) works similarly to a car’s navigation system by continuously tracking surgical instruments in relation to 3D images of your spine. This additional visual guidance helps minimize the risk of damaging critical structures like the spinal cord or nerve roots, allowing for an even more successful spine surgery.

Spine navigation provides greater confidence and accuracy in traditional open procedures, as well as advanced minimally invasive surgical techniques, reducing the need for intra-operative x-rays and thereby radiation exposure to both, patient and surgeon.

Benefits of spine navigation:
• Supports minimally invasive approach
• More accurate guidance for screw placement
• Reduces radiation exposure to patient and surgical team
• May reduce reoperation rate

Spine Radiosurgery

For the treatment of spinal tumors, which are often inoperable due to their position and the sensitivity of the spinal region, Brainlab has developed a special radiosurgery treatment system. Novalis® radiosurgery shapes the cancer-fighting radiation beam around your spinal tumor, ensuring that the prescribed treatment dose is delivered to the entire lesion in a one-time treatment or a series of treatments based on your doctor’s recommendation.

The result: Spinal lesions can now be treated with a high-dose radiation beam that is exactly tailored to match the shape of the tumor while ultimately protecting sensitive structures like the spinal cord or nerve roots.

Benefits of spine radiosurgery:
• Treatment typically lasts just minutes
• Shorter hospitalization and recovery times
• Helps protect critical organs and structures from radiation exposure
• Find more information here: Novalis Radiosurgery – Shaping Cancer Care

Patient Resources

Find a spine specialist
Discuss the different treatment options with your physician. Ask him/her to present the advantages and disadvantages, as well as the later side effects, of each different treatment option available to you.

Getting more help

To support you in deciding the best treatment option for you, please also refer to further valuable information sources, such as
• Internet
• Self-support groups
• Non-profit organizations
• Written information material
Take the time to be informed; this is your decision and you need to do what is most beneficial and reassuring for you.