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Outpatient Surgery Center

Same-Day Spine Surgery, Built Around Safety

Dr. Hobbs performs outpatient spine procedures — including fusions — at Lakeshore Surgicare, using the 7D FLASH™ machine-vision navigation system. It guides every implant with exceptional accuracy while eliminating the intraoperative radiation usually needed for navigation.

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Medically reviewed by Jonathan G. Hobbs, M.D. · Updated June 2026
Lakeshore Surgicare, the ambulatory surgery center in Northwest Indiana where Dr. Hobbs performs outpatient spine surgery
Lakeshore Surgicare

A Surgery Center Designed for Outpatient Spine Care

Lakeshore Surgicare is a modern ambulatory surgery center built specifically for efficient, patient-focused outpatient care. Instead of a busy hospital, you arrive in the morning, have your procedure in a calm, dedicated setting, and recover at home the same day.

  • Purpose-built for outpatient, minimally invasive spine surgery
  • A calmer, more personal experience than a hospital
  • Often lower cost than the same procedure in a hospital
  • Home the same day, recovering in familiar surroundings
Machine-Vision Navigation

The 7D FLASH™ Navigation System

For spinal fusions at the surgery center, Dr. Hobbs uses the 7D FLASH Navigation System — a machine-vision platform that works like a GPS for the spine. It links the patient's anatomy to their preoperative CT scan and shows the surgeon, in real time, exactly where instruments and implants are relative to the spine.

What makes it different is how it registers that map. Instead of taking X-rays or a CT scan during surgery, the system uses a flash of visible light from technology built into the overhead surgical light — reading the anatomy with machine vision in under 30 seconds.

The 7D FLASH Navigation System cart with a navigation display, used by Dr. Hobbs for spine fusions
Safety Spotlight

Radiation-Free Registration

Most surgical navigation relies on a CT scan or repeated X-rays during the operation to register the patient — exposing the patient, surgeon, and operating-room staff to additional radiation. The 7D FLASH system replaces that step with visible light, so the navigation registration adds no intraoperative radiation at all.

No intraoperative CTfor navigation registration
No fluoroscopyneeded to register the spine
Less exposurefor patient, surgeon & staff

*A standard preoperative CT scan is still obtained before surgery for planning and registration. The radiation reduction applies to the navigation step performed during the operation.

Interactive — click each step

Registration in Under 30 Seconds

How the system maps your spine for navigation — quickly, and without intraoperative radiation.

The four steps of 7D FLASH registration: attach the reference frame, identify the vertebral body, flash of light, and verify the anatomy to confirm accuracy

Why It Matters for Your Surgery

Navigation built for accuracy, efficiency, and safety.

High Accuracy

Machine vision reads the spine with extraordinary detail and provides accuracy at every level, even with intraoperative movement — helping place screws and implants precisely.

Fast & Streamlined

“Navigation-on-demand” registration in under 30 seconds keeps the operation efficient without disrupting the surgical workflow.

Radiation-Reducing

Visible-light registration eliminates the intraoperative CT and fluoroscopy radiation typically used for navigation — safer for everyone in the room.

Surgeon-Controlled

Dr. Hobbs controls the system directly with a foot pedal and sterile light handle, with the technology positioned overhead to avoid line-of-sight obstructions.

7D FLASH navigation benefits: workflow efficiency, high accuracy, radiation-free registration, and cost effectiveness

Device capabilities summarized from the manufacturer's published materials. Individual results vary.

Tools Chosen for Your Safety

Dr. Hobbs selects the right technology for each case and each setting — whether that is 7D machine-vision navigation at the surgery center, image-guided navigation and robotics for complex cases, or AI-driven planning. The goal is always the same: the most precise, safest result for you.

Board-Certified Neurosurgeon
Specialty-trained in spine surgery, including complex and revision cases
Minimally Invasive Focus
Tissue-sparing techniques that pair naturally with precise navigation
Elite Training
University of Kentucky medical degree; University of Chicago neurosurgery residency, chief resident
Outpatient Expertise
Specialty-trained in outpatient, same-day minimally invasive spine surgery
Outpatient spine surgery · Spinal fusion · Robotics & navigation

Frequently Asked Questions

Dr. Hobbs performs many of his outpatient and same-day spine procedures, including fusions, at Lakeshore Surgicare — a modern ambulatory surgery center in Northwest Indiana built specifically for efficient, patient-focused outpatient care. Patients arrive in the morning and recover at home the same day.
The 7D FLASH Navigation System is a machine-vision, image-guided surgery platform that Dr. Hobbs uses to guide spinal fusions. It registers the patient's anatomy to their preoperative CT scan using a flash of visible light in under 30 seconds, then provides real-time 3D guidance so implants and screws can be placed with exceptional accuracy.
The navigation registration itself is radiation-free — it uses visible light rather than intraoperative CT or fluoroscopy, which eliminates the intraoperative radiation typically required for navigation and reduces exposure for the patient, surgeon, and staff. A standard preoperative CT scan is still obtained before surgery for planning and registration.
Navigation lets Dr. Hobbs place screws and implants along a precise, real-time-guided path, which supports accuracy and safety — especially through the small incisions used in minimally invasive, outpatient surgery. Using the right tools for each case is central to how he prioritizes patient safety.
Yes. Advances in minimally invasive technique, anesthesia, navigation, and pain management have made it possible to safely perform many spinal fusions in an outpatient surgery center, allowing select patients to recover at home the same day. Dr. Hobbs determines whether an outpatient approach is appropriate for each patient.

Ask About Outpatient Spine Surgery

Find out whether your procedure can be performed on a same-day, outpatient basis with advanced, radiation-reducing navigation. Call Dr. Hobbs's office to schedule a consultation.

(219) 250-5010

Monday – Friday · 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

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500 E. 109th Avenue
Crown Point, IN 46307

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Chesterton, IN 46304