Published: April 21, 2026
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Norton Leatherman Spine has reached a major milestone in the evolution of spine care.
Jeffrey L. Gum, M.D., spine surgeon with Norton Leatherman Spine, has become the first in the world to perform spine surgery using a next-generation robotic-assisted platform designed to deliver greater precision and accuracy than any previous technology. Dr. Gum played a critical role in its development, contributing to both design and readiness for clinical use.
“The efficiency and technology upgrades represent a major leap forward in accuracy and patient safety,” Dr. Gum said. “It’s exciting to be on the forefront of innovation.”
The new Medtronic Stealth AXiS surgical system is an upgrade from earlier platforms. Built to streamline surgical workflow, the technology supports faster operating room times, improves usability for surgeons, and connects to a cloud‑based ecosystem that enhances preoperative planning.
A key advancement is the system’s integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to support screw placement. Most notably, the platform introduces a first-ever real-time alignment tracking system, capable of detecting patient movement and adjusting accordingly. This is designed to reduce mistakes and the need for radiation during the procedure.
Together, these upgrades enable Dr. Gum to execute a more patient-specific surgical plan.
“It feels like we’re actively moving into the future,” Dr. Gum said. “While this is the same category of technology, it’s an entirely different level of capability. One of the biggest challenges in spine surgery has been understanding and responding to how the patient’s spine moves during the procedure. This system gives me the ability to see it instantly and adjust my plan.”
The new surgical system is designed for accurate robotic-assisted positioning of surgical instruments and for guiding surgeons in locating anatomical structures in open, minimally invasive and percutaneous (through the skin) procedures. It operates by recognizing the patient’s anatomy and matching it to MRI, X‑ray or other digitized images.
The system received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in February. Because of his experience designing both the new system and others before it, Dr. Gum was a natural fit to perform the first case using the platform, continuing his long-standing role as a pioneer in robotic-assisted spine surgery.
“Spine surgery isn’t just about correcting anatomy,” Dr. Gum said. “It’s about giving people their lives back. When a patient can stand taller, move without pain or return to the activities they love, that’s the greatest reward I could ask for. Helping patients reclaim those things is what drives me, case after case.”
Dr. Gum’s practice specializes in complex spinal reconstruction surgery (such as scoliosis, kyphosis, revision surgery) and robotic-assisted, minimally invasive procedures. He also performs various types of cervical and lumbar degenerative surgeries, cervical disc arthroplasty (artificial disc) and minimally invasive lumbar discectomies. In 2025 alone, he performed more than 400 spine surgeries and has traveled to more than a dozen countries to teach the robotic-assisted technique.
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