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Robotic Spine Surgery: The Future Is Here

Medical staff at Nathan Littauer Hospital
Nathan Littauer Hospital

A small Fulton County Hospital is on its way to becoming a major destination for patients in need of back surgery.

Nathan Littauer Hospital in Gloversville has purchased and received its first Renaissance Robotic System, a groundbreaking technology offering new hope for patients suffering from debilitating spine pain.

Renaissance is the only FDA approved surgical guidance system for spine surgeries, which will be performed by Dr. Jian Shen, who is responsible for bringing the technology to Gloversville.

One of Dr. Shen's patients, WAMC President and CEO Alan Chartock,went under the knife on a Monday and back to work early Tuesday morning. Chartock says Dr. Shen is looking to find and train an associate to assist him in performing spine surgery.  

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Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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