The Intelligent Surgery Blog

One secret to faster, safer, and more accurate orthopedic surgeries? Extensive preoperative planning for orthopedics. While it’s common for medical device companies, surgeons, and hospitals to utilize pre-op planning software and rely on this process, technology in this space is quickly changing.

According to Peter Verrillo, CEO of Enhatch, being a surgeon is the most incredible job someone can have. Being an orthopedic surgeon has the reputation of being mentally tasking. Additionally, it’s also very physically demanding and often forces surgeons into retirement before they are ready. This is a problem that robotics and artificial intelligence can help solve. 

– Can physical cut guides be enough?
- What is surgical navigation?
– What are the drawbacks of computer assisted surgical navigation?
– Are augmented reality navigation systems the best choice?

– Surgical robots have more dexterity
– Robotic surgery uses haptic instruments
– Surgical robots can be expensive to buy and maintain

– Patient apps can increase patient satisfaction
– Wearables provide objective data before and after surgery
– Surgery simulators and smart implants can process information and automatically adjust

The standard treatment plan paradigm has shifted away, ushering a new era of  patient specific implants and instruments. Standard implants and instruments are outdated, deemed obsolete by their many limitations. From a 3D model of the patient’s anatomy, artificial intelligence-powered software can design a custom implant that will simplify surgical technique and improve patient outcomes.

– Residents can have more involved VR training materials
– VR training can help improve medical device compliance
– Surgeons can work through complex procedures on patient specific models

• Orthopedic surgery needs a more efficient medical device supply network

• AI for inventory management could be a strategic solution 

• Patient specific implants can reduce the number of parts moving, and artificial intelligence can help automate the design process

– Artificial intelligence can automate 2D to 3D imaging
– Artificial intelligence can generate surgical plans
– Patient specific implants can be designed from 3D bone models

The introduction of artificial intelligence is effecting a change in musculoskeletal medicine – an evolution from traditional orthopedic surgery into Intelligent Surgery

Intelligent Surgery is the use of artificial intelligence to enhance implant design, expedite surgical technique, optimize inventory logistics, and simplify clinical workflows, by connecting and learning from patient data during each step of the surgical care continuum.