Dr. Camden Whitaker, back, neck and spine surgeon at Kansas Joint & Spine Specialists, will be the first in the area to offer minimally invasive robotic-assisted back procedures using the Mazor X Stealth Edition robotic guidance platform. The new system uses a combination of preoperative planning using computer analytics and surgical navigation for predictability, visibility and precision. Performed at HCA-Wesley Medical Center at 550 N. Hillside, these robotic-assisted procedures are available to qualified spine patients meeting specific criteria. Patients seeking minimally invasive spinal care are encouraged to call (316) 219-8299 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Whitaker and see if they are a candidate for surgery using this sophisticated technology.
With the Mazor X Stealth system, Dr. Whitaker will able to offer minimally invasive and open orthopaedic spine surgeries for patients suffering from chronic conditions and acute injuries of the lumbar spine. Whereas minimally-invasive procedures use smaller incisions that often pose a challenge to surgeons due to the limited view of the patient’s anatomy, the Mazor X Stealth Edition robotic guidance platform helps to overcome this challenge with a 3D comprehensive surgical plan and analytics that give the surgeon comprehensive information and visualization to plan surgery in a CT-based 3D simulation of the patient’s spine. In addition, computer analytics provide the surgeon with preoperative data for procedure planning and intraoperative guidance during the procedure, offering extreme accuracy for optimized patient outcomes.
"Procedures using this system provide patients with many benefits, including a quicker recovery than traditional procedures and less potential for postoperative complications," Dr. Whitaker says. "The added capacity for precision also allows for more preservation of healthy tissue, which plays a part in helping patients have restored function as well as significantly less pain in recovery."
Dr. Whitaker is a board-certified, fellowship-trained spine surgeon specializing in all areas of the spine — cervical, thoracic and lumbar. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from The University of Kansas School of Medicine in 1998. Dr. Whitaker later completed his residency at The University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita in 2003 after a rotation at the Shriners Hospitals for Children in St. Louis. He went on to complete two spine fellowships at both the Texas Back Institute in Plano and the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia in 2004. His expertise includes herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, scoliosis, spondylolisthesis and reconstructive and revision spine surgery of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine.
To learn more about Dr. Whitaker or schedule an appointment, please call (316) 219-8299.