First in the State to Offer Robotic Spine Surgery With ExcelsiusGPS®

Suffering from chronic back pain can wreak havoc on your life. If your pain is unresponsive to nonsurgical treatments, you may be a candidate for minimally invasive spine surgery in conjunction with ExcelsiusGPS®. Bayhealth Hospital, Kent Campus is the first healthcare facility in Delaware to have this robotic guidance and navigation system, designed to improve safety and accuracy within the operating room. Surgery with this system offers many potential benefits for patients, such as smaller incisions, less scarring, a shorter hospital stay, and faster recovery.

“We are thrilled to be the first in our state with this advanced technology,” said Bayhealth Medical Director for Neurosurgery Dawn Tartaglione, DO, FACOS. Dr. Tartaglione and Bayhealth Neurosurgeon Amit Goyal, MD, have been fully trained on ExcelsiusGPS and have been using the robotic system to perform numerous minimally invasive spine surgeries. They can use it on a range of patients, including those with degenerative or arthritic spine conditions, as well as those who’ve suffered trauma to their spine.

Produced by Globus Medical, ExcelsiusGPS is the world’s first technology to combine a rigid robotic arm and full navigation capabilities into one system for precise alignment in surgery. The system works in a similar way to a GPS in your car — the neurosurgeon plans the pathway to place screw implants into the spine and the ExcelsiusGPS aligns the surgeon along that pathway to complete the operation. Because the hardware is placed in such delicate areas around nerves and the spinal cord where any deviation in placement could cause problems, the level of accuracy that the robot provides gives the least risk and best outcomes to patients.

“We have an experienced team of neurosurgeons equipped with the most advanced tool available,” said Dr. Tartaglione. “Patients do not have to travel far now for the state-of-the-art care that we can give them using this robotic system.”

Interested in making an appointment at Bayhealth Neurosurgery?

Please follow the steps outlined below to ensure that you have the best experience and an appointment that is helpful to you.

Get a referral from you primary care physician (PCP)

Bayhealth Neurosurgery requires referral from your PCP, regardless of your insurance. If your PCP is aware of your neck or back pain and doesn’t need to see you in his or her office, they can fax the referral paperwork and your records to Bayhealth Neurosurgery at 302-674-1398.

If your PCP is unaware of your neck or back pain, they may require you to have an appointment with them first before a referral is made. Again, they can fax the referral paperwork and your records to Bayhealth Neurosurgery at 302-674-1398.

Complete all your imaging before your appointment

Your PCP should refer you for imaging tests. It’s important that you have your imaging (CT, MRI, X-ray) completed before your appointment at Bayhealth Neurosurgery. This allows the Bayhealth Neurosurgery team a view of what’s happening inside of your body so they can make the most informed decisions about your care plans.

Expect a call from our neurosurgery team

When your referral paperwork and necessary imaging reports are received, a nurse promptly reviews your records. Someone from Bayhealth Neurosurgery will call you within 24–48 hours to schedule your appointment. Bayhealth Neurosurgery looks forward to being a part of your journey to better health.

Visit Bayhealth's Robotic Spine Surgery page to view a video about the procedure and the Bayhealth Neurosurgery team.