U.S. Spine Surgeons Earn Top International Award

Authored by: VSI

RESTON, VIRGINIA – April 3, 2023 – Spine surgeons Ehsan Jazini, MD, Christopher Good, MD, Thomas Schuler, MD, and Colin Haines, MD of the VSI in Reston, VA, are being honored by the Global Spine Journal with its 2022 Best Paper Award for their research on augmented reality(AR). The Journal’s Editor-in-Chief has announced the paper “Augmented Reality-Assisted Spine Surgery: An Early Experience Demonstrating Safety and Accuracy with 218 Screws” has won a Global Spine Journal’s 2022 Best Paper Award.

The research paper was chosen out of hundreds of pieces of research due to the quality and topic, as well as the number of citations and downloads it received. All four spine surgeons, as contributing authors, will receive a certificate in recognition of their work on this paper. 

The Award will be presented at the Global Spine Congress in Prague on Thursday, June 1, 2023. 

Augmented Reality – Assisted Spine Surgery: An Early Experience Demonstrating Safety and Accuracy with 218 Screws

The surgeons’ research showed that spine surgery done between October 2020 and August 2021 using the new FDA-approved augmented reality or AR device provides X-ray vision of the spine that improves the overall effectiveness and accuracy of the procedure. 

  • There was a 97.1% accuracy
  • There were no intraoperative issues or complications
  • No screws had to be revised
jazini md website bio

Lead Author and Spine Surgeon – Ehsan Jazini, MD

“It’s an honor to receive this award for our research which highlights the important role of technology in the operating room and ultimately improves patient outcomes. This was a large-scale study conducted in live surgery. It advances what we know about AR-assisted spine surgery and offers tremendous insight over previous research that has been small and cadaveric.” 

good md website bio

Co-Author and Spine Surgeon – Christopher Good, MD

“Our practice was an early adopter of AR, and we’ve seen its benefits for a while. This study answers the question for others who may have wondered whether AR-assisted spine surgery is a fad or has real value. Procedures using this innovative headset exhibited 97% accuracy – well above industry averages. We also had zero screws needing to be revised, which is significant amid ongoing industry efforts to reduce revision rates.”

schuler md website bio

Co-Author and Spine Surgeon – Thomas Schuler, MD

“Our patient outcomes demonstrate that technology like augmented reality makes the surgical process more efficient. This is important information for surgeons and their patients, and we’re honored to have gained notoriety for this research.

haines md website bio

Co-Author, Director of Research, and Spine Surgeon – Colin Haines, MD

This study illustrates that technology is advancing our field in meaningful ways. It demonstrates the importance of looking beyond traditional freehand techniques with spine surgery. The use of such advanced technology is supported by data showing that this technology can lead to improved accuracy and better patient outcomes by decreasing complications.

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