Computer-Assisted Navigation

What computer-assisted navigation is

Computer-assisted navigation begins with high-resolution imaging of your spine — typically a CT scan — taken during surgery or registered to pre-operative scans. A tracked reference frame and infrared or electromagnetic sensors link the position of the surgeon's instruments to that three-dimensional map in real time.

On the navigation display, Dr. Choi can see exactly where each instrument sits relative to your anatomy — including the intended path of a screw or implant — before and during placement.

How it supports precision

Navigation is especially valuable in the thoracic and lumbar spine, where screw placement demands accuracy around nerves, vessels, and the spinal canal. By showing the instrument's position against your actual anatomy, it supports precise, planned trajectories even when direct line of sight is limited by muscle or a minimally invasive corridor.

It also helps confirm that each implant matches the pre-operative plan, adding a verification step that complements — rather than replaces — the surgeon's own assessment.

When it is used

Navigation is used most when screws must be placed with high accuracy — the thoracic and lumbar spine, where nerves, vessels, and the spinal canal sit close to every trajectory — and in revision cases where prior implants or altered anatomy make the usual landmarks unreliable. It is also valuable through minimally invasive corridors, where direct line of sight is limited.

What it does not do is choose the operation. It cannot decide whether a level needs fusion, which implant fits the patient, or whether surgery is warranted at all. For straightforward anatomy with excellent direct visualization, it may add little — and knowing when to leave it off is part of the judgment.

Its limits

Navigation is a map, not a decision-maker. Its accuracy depends on stable registration between the imaging and your position on the operating table; if anatomy shifts, the guidance must be rechecked and, if needed, re-registered.

It cannot choose the right implant, determine whether a level needs fusion, or respond to something unexpected — those decisions remain the surgeon's. And for straightforward anatomy where direct visualization is excellent, navigation may add little beyond careful technique.