Surgical Planning Associates (SPA) announced a step forward in how surgery can be performed with the introduction of a HipInsight augmented reality (AR) intra-operative guidance system for joint arthroplasty. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided SPA with 501(k) clearance on 28th January 2021. Dr. Stephen B. Murphy, Founder of SPA, performed the first total hip arthroplasty using the HipInsight system – the first such surgery ever performed using an augmented reality system. The surgery was performed at North Atlantic Surgery Suites in Salem, N.H.
Dr. Murphy said: “Traditional navigation systems, robotics, and interoperative imaging provide information on flat screens outside the surgeon’s view of the patient, leaving the process disjointed and awkward. The HipInsight system enables surgeons to stay focused on the patient, projecting holograms on AR glasses that effectively give them x-ray vision so that surgeons can see what they need to see when they need to see it, right inside the patient’s body.”
The HipInsight system is the first FDA-cleared surgical guidance platform to be contained entirely within a head-mounted device, the industry-leading Microsoft HoloLens. Combining cloud-based preoperative planning and virtual interoperative guidance, the platform enables surgeons to be more precise in the most critical aspects of the operation, which can increase the likelihood of successful outcomes. The HipInsight system also provides a more seamless and intuitive solution in comparison to cumbersome and expensive traditional robotic and navigation systems.
Dr. Daniel Ward, Longwood Orthopedic Associates, who assisted Dr. Murphy with the inaugural surgery, said: “It’s amazing to be able to see the entire bony anatomy, implants, and instruments inside the patient while you’re operating. It is the kind of technology surgeons have been striving for – when you try it for the first time, it’s just a mind-blowing experience.”
Dr. Grayson Connors, Excel Orthopaedics, who also assisted Dr. Murphy during the first surgery, said: “What’s remarkable about the HipInsight system is how natural it feels. It’s how you would operate if you had x-ray vision – you can see exactly what you need to do at all times, even if the patient shifts position on the table. This is a game-changer.”
