Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1472295
24 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP The 'overreliance of tech' in spine surgery: 4 insights By Alan Condon A s enabling technologies become more widely adopted in spine sur- gery, there is a concern that the next generation of surgeons may rely too heavily on these innovations to guide them through procedures. Four spine surgeons reflected on what the advancement of enabling technologies means for the future of the specialty and why developing a complete understanding of the anatomy will remain critical in spine care. Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length. Question: Is there a danger of the next generation of spine surgeons becoming too de- pendent on enabling tech- nologies? Wesley Bronson, MD. Mount Sinai Health System (New York City): Enabling tech- nologies, including robotics and navigation platforms, have allowed spine surgeons to enhance the safety and efficiency of spine surgery. As more surgeons incorporate these modalities into their practice, resi- dents and fellows will similarly be exposed to them in their training. It certainly is the case that resident and fellow education has the potential to be compromised by overre- liance on these tools. If educators focus too much on these tech- nologies without teaching the fundamentals of spine surgery, new spine surgeons enter- ing practice may lack the ability to perform surgery without them. It is the responsibility of both residents and fellows as well those training them to always focus on the basics, even if certain technologies are being used for the case. e thought "what would I do if the navigation wasn't working today?" should always be present. Ehsan Jazini, MD. Virginia Spine Insti- tute (Reston): e next generation of spine surgeons must be able to do every aspect of spine surgery without the assistance of en- abling technology. e most important skill set for a spine surgeon is being able to deal with option A, B and C. And that means that the surgeon continues to refine and improve upon what option A is by using enabling