La Jolla’s Scripps Green Hospital performs region’s first shoulder replacement using 3D hologram technology

A surgeon at Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla recently became the first in Southern California to use an innovative mixed-reality headset technology that offers surgeons a 3D holographic view of a patient’s preoperative surgical plan during shoulder replacement procedures.

“Being able to view the entire surgical plan during the operation is a big advantage for patients because it can help surgeons replicate the pre-op plan with precision,” said Dr. Brian Rebolledo, the first Scripps Clinic orthopedic surgeon to use the new system. “Having a detailed 3D model of the patient’s surgical plan directly in our sights in real time opens up a new window to help further enhance the procedure.”

The new system enables surgeons to use hand gestures and voice commands to view and manipulate a hologram of the patient’s preoperative plan from inside the headset lens while simultaneously maintaining a direct view of the open surgical site. The technology lets doctors superimpose the 3D surgery plan over the patient’s anatomy on the operating table, providing an intricate, personalized level of prosthetic placement.

The surgeon can rotate and zoom in or out of the hologram model while comparing it in real time with the patient’s anatomy. The holograms are generated by the system’s software through preoperative CT scans.

Scripps Clinic is one of 33 health care providers in the United States currently using the mixed-reality technology for shoulder replacement surgery. The first such surgery using the system was performed in Minnesota in July 2020.

The technology is available to patients planning shoulder replacement surgery at Scripps Green Hospital. To learn more, call (800) SCRIPPS (727-4777) or visit scripps.org/locations/hospitals. Scripps Green is at 10666 N. Torrey Pines Road. ◆