Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Frisco Becomes First Hospital in Texas to Deploy New Technology to Enhance Patient Safety During Spine Surgery

Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Frisco has added an innovative operating room technology aimed at improving patient safety during spine surgery.

The new, FDA-cleared surgical guidance system allows a surgeon to use augmented reality to see a patient’s 3-dimensional (3D) spinal anatomy, giving the surgeon better visualization, which can lead to easier, faster and safer surgeries.

“We continuously evaluate opportunities to improve the safety and quality of the care we provide to our patients,” said Trevor Castaneda, CEO of Baylor Scott & White – Frisco. “This addition to our orthopedic surgical suite will help the surgeons on our medical staff visualize the target of the surgery, adding an extra layer of precision to give our patients better outcomes.”

The first minimally invasive spine surgery using this technology was performed last week.

The addition of this technology is the latest effort to enhance safety at the hospital, as patients continue to undergo scheduled surgeries and procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Preventive measures and innovative offerings designed to protect patients and team members include:

• COVID-19 testing of patients deemed appropriate through individual case review prior to in-hospital surgeries; patient swabs collected via convenient drive-thru locations
• Virtual waiting rooms, allowing clinic patients and loved ones of hospital or surgery center patients to receive updates about their care via calls, minimizing time in common areas
• Virtual care options provided to patients before and after surgeries and procedures when appropriate, simplifying the experience
• Masking of patients, approved visitors and staff in hospitals, surgery centers and clinics
• Enhanced cleaning and touch-free protocols in hospitals, surgery centers and clinics, including UV-light disinfection and paperless registration
• COVID-19 home monitoring digital care journey, enabled through the MyBSWHealth app or website, to be offered to those diagnosed with COVID-19 so they can be supported by our care teams while quarantined

“It is important patients and their families understand how we are creating COVID-19 Safe Care environments; and it is important patients do not delay healthcare,” said Jimmy Laferney, MD, chief medical officer, Baylor Scott & White – Frisco. “With the help of the trusted physicians on our medical staff, along with our nurses and operators, advice from national experts and by following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we have developed a plan to safely continue scheduled procedures, screenings and visits, helping those we serve avoid the unintended consequences of postponing healthcare.”