Clinical experience with angulated, hand-activated, wireless instruments in an optical tracking system for endoscopic sinus surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Image-guided surgery of the paranasal sinuses has become a valuable tool in endoscopic sinus surgery. Optical image-guided systems using infrared tracking technology are widely used. We present our experience with new angulated, hand-activated, wireless instruments in an optical tracking system for endoscopic sinus surgery.

DESIGN: Case series.

SETTING: Community university teaching hospital.

METHODS: Sixty-five consecutive patients underwent computer-assisted endoscopic sinus surgery using a Stryker Navigation System (Stryker Canada LP, Burlington, ON). Patients underwent preoperative fine-cut axial computed tomography. At the time of surgery, anatomic fiducials were registered and the measured fiducial registration error (FRE), which is an indicator of the accuracy of the optical system, was recorded. Angulated battery-powered active instrumentation was used during the surgery.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: FRE, the number of anatomic fiducials used, complication rates pre- and postuse of computer-assisted sinus surgery.

RESULTS: The mean FRE was 2.02 +/- 0.48 mm. The mean number of anatomic fiducials used for registration was 5.98. There were no major orbital or intracranial complications. Use of angulated instruments rarely caused a line of sight problem.

CONCLUSIONS: The new optical system has a measured FRE comparable to that of other image guidance systems. Our clinical experience shows that the instrumentation decreases the "line of sight" problem and is easy to navigate and manipulate without a wire attachment to the main computer.