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. 2021 Apr 15:13:127-139.
doi: 10.2147/CCIDE.S299249. eCollection 2021.

Role of Navigation in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: A Surgeon's Perspectives

Manish Anand  1 , Shreya Panwar  1
Affiliations

Role of Navigation in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: A Surgeon's Perspectives

Manish Anand et al. Clin Cosmet Investig Dent. .

Abstract

Surgeries related to the maxillofacial area deal with an intricate network of anatomical structures. With the complexity of the vital structures, it necessitates a surgical team to respect each anatomical boundary. In the past, there was an exceptionally high number of cases with surgical errors. These errors were not because of flaws in the surgeon's skills or techniques but owing to lack of resources. Visualisation is one of the key factors that determines the precision of any surgical outcome. Advances in surgical planning have led to the introduction of a "Navigation" system that helps surgeons to see more, know more and ultimately do more for their patients. The usefulness of the navigation system in oral surgeries has been indicated by its surgical applications in craniomaxillofacial trauma, orthognathic surgeries, head and neck pathological resections, complex skull base surgeries and surgery involving temporomandibular joint. A vast majority of research literature has suggested remarkable improvement in surgical outcomes under the guidance of 3d planning and navigation. However, with such an inordinate advancement, financial expenses and a gradual learning curve are always a constraining factor in surgical navigation. This article overviews indication of navigation in craniofacial surgeries with a focus on applied aspect, planning and solution to the future problem.

Keywords: computer-assisted surgeries; craniomaxillofacial; navigation; orthognathic; trauma.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A localizer (top) and a surgical probe or tracker (bottom) – Technical part of a navigation system. A localizer is fixed on patient forehead and a surgical probe or tracker guides surgeon for point registration.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Intra-operative placement of localizer and a surgical probe. A pointed end of surgical probe serves a purpose of marking anatomical landmark.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Intraoperative verification of points in axial, coronal and sagittal section. A red arrow indicate the supraorbital bony landmark verified by the confluence of line during point registration with a navigation probe.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Pre-operative verification of orbital mesh (left) using navigation. Reproducing the plan during surgery under the guidance of navigation (right).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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