Dr. Kevin R. Stone, who is an Orthopedic Surgeon, has carried out the first outpatient robotic knee replacement surgery in the San Francisco Surgery Center, which is an outpatient surgery center located near Union Square.
The nation has seen a huge growth in the robotic joint surgery but this latest development wherein joint replacement could be done as an outpatient procedure could revolutionize the economics of healthcare and the orthopedics sector. The procedure, which is called the Makoplasty joint replacement, permits the patient to walk out of the center 90 minutes after the surgery. The patient could later begin physical therapy the next day.
A remarkable improvement has been seen in the joint replacement procedures with regard to the accuracy, when robots have been used and CT computerized measurement data has been merged along with surgical cutting burrs. Formerly, surgeons had to use cutting guides, which at times proved to be difficult to adjust accurately, especially in multiple planes on the operating table. Now, however the surgeon makes use of the computer monitor, the CT images and the robotic arm to make adjustments on the screen even before making an incision on the patient’s body. The surgeon is able to make tiny surgical incisions, which would cause much less pain to the patient when compared to the traditional open exposure surgical methods. The robotic accuracy takes care of the criticisms posed by some of the medical fraternity about the small incisions compromising the surgeon’s view of the patient during the minimally invasive surgery (MIS).
The surgery performed concentrated on a challenging joint replacement of the patella-femoral joint of the kneecap and its opposing femur. The complex shape of these bones has proved to be an impediment to the traditional replacement surgery carried out for the typical joint replacements. During the surgery, the diseased knee portion is resurfaced, keeping safe the healthy bone and its surrounding tissues. An implant is introduced in the joint, which would permit the knee to move freely and smoothly. This technique called Makoplasty promises to give superior outcomes with its high levels of accuracy.
The Stone Clinic specializes in biologic approaches to joint replacements and now includes robotic joint replacement for patients with advanced arthritis.
Source: http://www.stoneclinic.com