Clinical Practice
Cervical surgery and MIST for cervical spondylotic myelopathy, OPLL, cervical disc herniation, and revision cases.
Wataru Narita · Academic & Social Profile
Turning clinical questions into
verifiable knowledge.
Cervical spine surgery, minimally invasive spine therapy (MIST), exoscope, XR and AI, and medical-engineering collaboration. Dr. Wataru Narita investigates challenges arising in regional clinical care and develops them into procedures, instruments, and education. This page presents selected work with direct links to primary sources.
01 ／ Portfolio
Four domains,
one continuous cycle.
Patient care is the starting point for a connected program of research, education, and implementation.
Research
Clinical evaluation of exLAP / ExLAPPS, exoscope-assisted surgery, XR navigation, AI, and digital transformation in medicine.
Education
Standardizing and transferring technique through papers, textbooks, live surgery, hands-on training, and international conferences.
Implementation
Instrument development through medical-engineering collaboration, XR work with Holoeyes, and commercialization and community return through FORTEC.
63Publications
65Lectures & presentations
6Research fields
16Committee appointments
Record counts from J-GLOBAL researcher information, synchronized with researchmap and updated June 10, 2026. They indicate the breadth of activity; not every record represents the same type of peer-reviewed research.
02 ／ Selected Research
Selected work—and
where the evidence stands.
The research design and limitations are presented alongside the findings, without overstating effectiveness.
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2024
Journal of Clinical Medicine 13(8):2173
Exoscopic Minimally Invasive Open-Door Laminoplasty for Cervical Myelopathy
A technical note and preliminary analysis comparing acute postoperative outcomes in 17 exLAP cases and 11 conventional cases, 28 patients in total. Long-term outcomes remain to be established.
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2026
Journal of Clinical Medicine 15(6):2307
Exoscopic Minimally Invasive Open-Door Laminoplasty with Pedicle Screw Fixation
A technical note reporting the ExLAPPS procedure and initial clinical experience in seven selected OPLL cases. Careful case selection and further validation are required.
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2026
New OS NEXUS No.18 · pp.156–167
“Open-Door Cervical Laminoplasty Through a 3 cm Incision”
Co-authored by Kentaro Yamane and Wataru Narita. The chapter systematizes preoperative planning, positioning, exposure, laminar elevation, plate placement, and integration with exoscope and XR.
03 ／ Education & Leadership
Taking technique beyond one hospital—
to the next surgeon.
LIVE SURGERY
KMU MIST Seminar 2026
Dr. Narita performed live OPERA surgery during a three-day procedural seminar attended by 40 participants from across Japan.
Read the seminar report ↗ CONGRESS PRESIDENT16th MIST Annual Meeting
Held in November 2026 as part of Spine Week Japan 2026, with Dr. Narita serving as Annual Meeting President.
Visit the official meeting site ↗ PATIENT INFORMATIONComprehensive Guide to Cervical OPERA
Information on symptoms, imaging, procedures, risks, and consultation pathways for patients and referring institutions.
View the guide ↗ R&D / CSRFORTEC
Connecting clinical needs with R&D, intellectual property, and enterprise—and returning value to the community and future generations.
Visit the company site ↗The main website provides patient-oriented information on symptoms, consultation, and the Cervical OPERA procedure.
Return to Wataru Narita's Official Site