SGPGI gets O-arm system for advanced spinal surgery

Lucknow: Patients with serious spinal injuries at SGPGIMS’ Apex Trauma Centre will now undergo more precise, minimally invasive spine surgery with the installation of a Rs 10-crore O-arm imaging and spinal navigation system.

Officials said SGPGIMS is the first govt institute in UP to acquire the technology, expected to improve surgical accuracy and patient outcomes.

The O-arm provides real-time 360-degree scans and CT-like 3D images of the spine during surgery. Earlier, surgeons relied on conventional C-arm machines that produced only 2D X-ray images and required repeated radiation shots from different angles.

The new system is integrated with a spinal navigation platform that works like a GPS inside the body, helping surgeons place implants with precise angle, depth and direction.

The first surgery using the system was performed on May 4 on a 32-year-old factory worker from Kanpur who suffered a mid-spine fracture after falling from a two-storey building.

The procedure — percutaneous pedicle screw fixation — was performed by neurosurgery department doctors Dr Pawan Verma and Dr Ashutosh Kumar. It is a minimally invasive technique in which screws are inserted through small skin incisions.

Calling it a major upgrade in spinal trauma care, Dr Kumar said the technology helps avoid extensive muscle cutting and reduces complications, especially in complex cases.

Dr Verma said it also lowers the risk of implant misplacement and injury to nearby nerves or blood vessels.

Institute director Dr R K Dhiman said the system will help patients from UP and neighbouring states access advanced spine care locally at affordable costs without travelling to metro cities.