Surgical navigation in urology: European perspective

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Surgical Technology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Virtual reality (VR) and advanced navigation systems have significantly evolved in open and endoscopic surgery over the last decade.
• The European Association of Urology's uro-technology section highlights seven key projects in this domain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize the current status of innovative uro-technology projects focused on surgical navigation.
• To review the literature on the application of virtual reality and tracking techniques in urological surgery.

Main Methods:

• Review of seven selected projects from the European Association of Urology uro-technology section.
• Literature review on marker-based, 3D-segmented virtual anatomy, iPAD-assisted, laser-assisted, electromagnetic, and attitude tracking techniques.

Main Results:

• Marker-based endoscopic tracking in laparoscopic radical prostatectomy reduces positive margins.
• 3D virtual anatomy aids trocar placement and dissection in partial nephrectomy.
• Various tracking methods improve percutaneous collecting system puncture and renal tumor biopsy, with some reducing radiation exposure and puncture errors.

Conclusions:

• Intraoperative navigation using diverse tracking techniques is beneficial for percutaneous procedures and biopsies.
• Early clinical studies confirm the advantages of marker-based navigation in laparoscopic prostatectomy and nephrectomy.
• Combining different tracking technologies holds promise for further advancements in video-assisted surgery.