Surgical Navigation: An Overview of the State-of-the-Art Clinical Applications

Anatomical and/or functional imaging modalities like computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound, often combined with contrast agents, and molecular imaging modalities like single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) have become standard tools to aid in the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of disease or injury. Yet, translating this wealth of detailed preoperative imaging information into better surgical treatment and clinical outcome is an ongoing challenge. Patient scans usually provide a 3D map of the disease, often placed in the context of the patient’s anatomy, that surgeons can use as a reference to guide them during an intervention. It would be very convenient for the surgeon to know exactly where surgical tools are on this map relative to the target location or, even better, to be provided with an optimal path from the tools towards the target.