Boardman, Ohio (April 21, 2026) — Southwoods Health is pleased to announce the introduction of ExcelsiusGPS®, a revolutionary robotic navigation platform designed to offer a more precise alternative for patients during spine surgery. This is the first technology of its kind available across Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana, Portage and Stark counties.
Over the past two years, spine surgeons at the Southwoods Pain & Spine Center have carefully evaluated robotic-assisted systems that improve surgical planning and navigation. In February, Dr. Frank Grisafi performed the region’s first robotic spine surgery using this platform. As this technology continues to emerge as a standard of care, Southwoods spine surgeons are now
expanding its use across their spine program.
“I think ExcelsiusGPS® offers tremendous benefits to our patients and believe it will become the standard of care—as it has in larger metropolitan health systems including Cleveland and Pittsburgh,” said Dr. Grisafi. “This technology allows us to plan procedures in advance, reduce operating times for complex cases and expand our ability to perform minimally invasive surgeries.”
The system is fully controlled by the surgeon and uses GPS-based navigation to deliver highly detailed, real-time visualization of a patient’s anatomy. On the day of surgery, medical images
are captured by the platform that allow the surgeon to map out the exact placement of implants based on each patient’s unique structure. During the procedure, 3D navigation guides positioning, improving accuracy and patient outcomes.
“This system combines advanced navigation, imaging and robotic technology to benefit both surgeons and patients,” said Steve Davenport, President of Southwoods Health. “It allows for
greater surgical precision and offers patients a less invasive surgical option for spine surgery.”
Benefits of ExcelsiusGPS® include:
- Improved imaging and surgical accuracy
- Smaller incisions, that minimize muscle and soft tissue trauma
- Faster recovery times
- Reduced risk of surgical complications
For more information about Spine Services at Southwoods, visit SouthwoodsPainandSpine.com.