Image guided surgery extended by remote stereotactic visualization

In computer aided maxillofacial surgery we have shown the feasibility of computer navigation assistance for a wide variety of indications. Additional data of various imaging sources superimposed during operation with live video from the operating field provide help and useful information even for the experienced surgeon. Rather than the simple identification of target structures in a CT our goal is the intraoperative visualization of complex presurgical simulations of osteotomies of the midface. Because of the interdisciplinary nature the expert needed is not necessarily the surgeon. We present a system (Artma Virtual Patient) that enables a remote expert to observe the surgical procedure via the Internet and interactively modify the intraoperative visualization from his remote location. First results are presented and a live transmission of Stereotactic and video data is established to the conference site.