Assessment of the Accuracy and Errors of Head-Up Display by an Optical Neuronavigation System in Brain Tumor Surgery

A head-up display (HUD) in which navigational information is projected into the microscope view may enable surgeons to perform operations more efficiently. Projecting depictions of both tumor and important intracranial structures on the HUD may facilitate safe surgery.

To investigate accuracy and errors regarding important intracranial structures, errors due to brain shifts, and preservation rates for important intracranial structures.

A total of 184 surgeries in 172 patients were performed using this operation system. Postoperatively, we determined accuracy and errors for actual structures and virtual reality on the HUD and performed statistical analyses.

Preresection accuracy for important intracranial structures was highest for the internal carotid artery (ICA; 90.4%) and lowest for the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (53.6%). Differences between pre- and postresection accuracy were greatest, in descending order, for the cortical vein ( P < .0001), V4 segment of vertebral artery ( P < .0001), and anterior inferior cerebellar artery ( P = .00780), whereas differences between pre- and postresection errors were smallest for the cranial nerve V ( P = .500), middle cerebral artery ( P = .0313), and ICA ( P = .0313). Cases of poor preresection accuracy and large differences in pre- to postresection accuracy were seen in the prone position.

A reliable surgical resection rate was achieved using the HUD, and reliable preservation of important intracranial structures was also possible. Accuracy was concluded to be within an acceptable range.