Got new ideas of spinal surgery before leaving Taiwan

Today my family and I are flying to St. Louis to begin living in the U.S for one year.

I just attended two endoscopic spine surgery related conferences in the beginning of July.

The new technology and its practice inspired me.

At the first symposium, I saw the INTRACS system. It's an electromagnetic tracking navigation system, with an assist needle and scope directly at its tip,  which could decrease the surgeon's radiation exposure. So fantastic! Even when the needle is bent or when using other slightly flexible instruments, it will not affect the precision of the navigation.

At the second conference, there were two main subjects. One is the progress of echo-guided musculoskeletal injection, including facet, nerve root, and disc injection, not only for treatment but also for diagnostic capabilities. The conference invited two PMR doctors who are highly skilled in echo-guided spinal injection techniques. One of the speakers, Stanley, showed how he did the cervical nerve root injection to himself (So amazing echo guided injection technique and courage!). He said he always tries a new technique on himself before applying in it to the patients. The other PMR doctor, Dr.Wu, is my university classmate. He showed his expertise on spine disc PRP injection. The procedure and results also gave me some new ideas. At the end of the conference, we shared our experiences in treating patients with each other.

The second subject was UBE (Unilateral Biportal Endoscopic Spine surgery). Korean experts showed how they do the UBE surgery in cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. For me, it's an attractive technique done in a minimally invasive manner, which could give patients better treatment options.

The last surgery that I performed in June was also a UBE surgery, and the patient got a satisfactory result.

How to give comprehensive solutions to patients with spinal problems is always my goal and passion. Even though I already have the experiences of spinal injection and endoscopic spine surgery, I'll keep involving in these fields because the new concept and technology develop continually. 

The left is Intracs system, the right is the UBE tools.