Procedures and Techniques

Image-Guided Surgery and FESS

Detail: Factory-calibrated Automated EM Tracking Blade on Straightshot M4 Microdebrider

Using the Fusion™ System or StealthStation^® System, image-guided surgery can enable more precise and less invasive FESS (functional endoscopic sinus surgery) procedures. Image-guided surgery has become an industry standard for many endoscopic sinus surgeries. The American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) endorses the use of image-guided surgery for procedures including:¹

• Revision sinus surgery
• Distorted sinus anatomy of development, postoperative, or traumatic origin
• Extensive sino-nasal polyposis
• Pathology involving the frontal, posterior ethmoid and sphenoid sinuses
• Disease abutting the skull base, orbit, optic nerve, or carotid artery
• CSF rhinorrhea or conditions where there is a skull base defect
• Benign and malignant sino-nasal neoplasms 

Advantages of Image-Guided Surgery

• Procedures are less invasive than the open surgical approaches that were once standard
• Precision is greater, resulting in lower risk to the patient
• Allows for more complete surgical dissections
• Patient discomfort is minimal with potential for reduced recovery time

Additional Products for FESS

Medtronic offers powered and manual instruments that are specially designed for a broad variety of FESS procedures. Learn more about our additional products for FESS and their potential benefits for you and your patients.

Image-Guided Surgery in the Skull Base

Image-guided surgery in the skull base

Image-guided surgery with the Fusion™ System or StealthStation^® System can help aid precision when surgically navigating tumors and lesions affecting the anterior and lateral skull base. This is accomplished through:

• Scanning and registration protocols that enable highly precise and reproducible results
• StealthMerge™ ENT software that fuses different imaging modalities (CT, MRI) together for enhanced tissue differentiation
• Instruments that are designed and calibrated for use in image-guided surgery

Benefits of Image-Guided Surgery in the Skull Base

For the surgeon, image-guided surgery enables navigation using images with more clearly defined lesion borders. This facilitates the removal of diseased tissue with minimized damage to the surrounding healthy anatomy.

For the patient, this means a potential for:

• Less tissue trauma
• Faster healing time
• Fewer and smaller scars
• Confidence and peace of mind

Additional Products for Skull Base Surgery

Medtronic offers powered and manual instruments that are specially designed to facilitate operating in the anterior and lateral skull base. Learn more about our additional products for transnasal endoscopic skull base surgery, lateral skull base surgery, and how they can maximize your visibility and access during these challenging procedures.