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Robotic Spine Surgery in Indiana
Robotic- and navigation-assisted systems help align instruments with a preoperative plan during selected spinal fusions and track instrument position on a screen. They do not change the diagnosis, decide whether surgery is needed, or replace the surgeon's judgment. Whether guidance adds value depends on the anatomy and the specific operation, which are evaluated in person at the Fort Wayne office.
What Robotic and Navigation Assistance Actually Changes
Robotic- and navigation-assisted spine surgery describes a group of guidance tools used during selected instrumented procedures. Robotic assistance can help align instruments with a trajectory the surgeon planned before the operation. Navigation tracks instrument position relative to registered images of the patient’s anatomy and displays it on a screen. Both change how a plan is carried out — the preoperative planning and the intraoperative guidance during fusion. Neither changes the diagnosis, whether surgery is needed, or the judgment behind the operation.
The plan is registered to the patient’s anatomy in the operating room and must be checked throughout the case. Registration error, movement, image quality, and workflow can all affect guidance, so the surgeon remains responsible for planning, execution, and confirmation. The system does not diagnose the problem, choose the operation, decompress nerves, or place implants on its own.
Problems That May Be Considered
Guidance is most relevant to operations that place hardware — that is, selected spinal fusion procedures where vertebrae are stabilized. Patterns that may be evaluated include:
- Spondylolisthesis, where one vertebra has slipped on another
- Degenerative instability that has not responded to appropriate nonoperative care
- Deformity or scoliosis requiring correction and fixation
- Revision anatomy, where prior surgery has altered the landmarks
Guidance is not automatically appropriate for every fusion, and it is not needed for many spine operations at all. Decompression without fusion, endoscopic discectomy, and disc replacement often proceed without a robot or navigation. A more complex tool does not establish a better result. The anatomy and the surgical objective determine whether guidance adds value.
For procedure-specific detail, see robotic spinal fusion; for a plain review of common misconceptions, see robotic spinal fusion myths versus the evidence.
What Robotic Guidance Does Not Change
It is worth being direct about the limits. Robotic and navigation guidance can help the surgeon follow a plan, but it cannot confirm that an implant sits exactly where intended or that a fusion will heal. Construct stability and durability also depend on implant selection, anatomy, alignment, bone quality, fixation, fusion biology, activity, and other patient factors. Implant position is checked independently, regardless of how it was placed.
Radiation exposure varies by imaging platform, setup, number of scans, and workflow, so guidance does not by itself lower exposure. The background on how these systems work covers this in more depth. These are guidance tools, not substitutes for the diagnosis, the decompression, or the decision about whether to operate.
How Candidacy Is Assessed
An honest evaluation should answer:
- What is the actual diagnosis, and does it call for fusion at all?
- Do the symptoms, examination, and imaging point to the same level?
- Is the spine unstable, deformed, or altered by prior surgery?
- Would a planned-trajectory guide add value to this specific construct?
- Is decompression alone, or a non-instrumented approach, the better operation?
An abnormal MRI alone does not establish that fusion — or guidance — is needed. Many patients evaluated for a fusion are better served by a smaller operation or by continued nonoperative care. A second look can be worthwhile before committing; a spine surgery second opinion can clarify whether instrumentation is the right path.
Planning a Visit From Elsewhere in Indiana
Some patients travel to Fort Wayne because they want an in-person evaluation before deciding on a fusion, and because the diagnosis — not the device — should drive the plan. Patients traveling from elsewhere in Indiana should confirm:
- What imaging and records to bring
- Whether an in-person examination is required
- The expected care setting if surgery is recommended
- Whether a support person or local stay is needed
- Which symptoms should change travel plans
- How postoperative concerns and follow-up are handled
The website does not promise remote review, telehealth, outpatient surgery, a set number of visits, or a specific timeline. Those details are confirmed through the clinical and scheduling process. General information about the areas served and spine surgery in Indiana is available for patients weighing a longer drive.
Training and Fort Wayne Access
Marc Greenberg, MD earned his medical degree at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, completed orthopedic surgery residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and completed spine surgery fellowship at Brown University. Training credentials do not by themselves determine whether robotic or navigation guidance is appropriate for a particular operation; the anatomy and the planned procedure do.
Limited appointments are available now at the Fort Wayne office, with expanded availability beginning August 31, 2026. Use the new-patient request for contact and routing information only; do not submit medical details through the public form. To read more about how these cases are evaluated, see the overview for a spine surgeon in Indiana.
Related reading: robotic spinal fusion · robotic spinal fusion myths vs. evidence · endoscopic spine surgery in Indiana · spine surgery second opinion in Indiana · areas served
When to seek urgent care
Call 911 or go to the emergency department right away if you have any of the following:
- Loss of bowel or bladder control, or new difficulty urinating
- Numbness in the groin, buttocks, or inner thighs (saddle anesthesia)
- Rapidly worsening weakness in one or both legs
- New clumsiness in the hands — buttons, handwriting, dropping things
- Unsteadiness, imbalance, or falls when walking
- Rapidly progressive weakness or numbness in the arms or legs
These can be signs of a problem that needs emergency treatment.
This is general educational information, not medical advice. A clinical evaluation is the only way to know what’s right for you.