The Intelligent Surgery Blog

• The longer the surgery, the greater the risk of post-surgical complications for patients. 
• Since most THAs and TKAs are elective procedures, better pre-operative planning can help improve patient outcomes. 

Surgical Time Affects Post-Surgical Complications

According to a study by the University of Chicago, patients who undergo THA or TKA surgery longer than 87 minutes are at a higher risk of wound complications. Longer surgical times also increase the risk of sepsis. And a review of over 200,000 TKAs performed in the United States showed that the operative time was strongly related to patient Length of Stay (LOS). LOS is a significant factor affecting patient outcomes.  And though rare after total joint surgery in the United States, longer surgical times are associated with sepsis  - a severe complication that can elevate a patient’s mortality rate.

Preoperative Planning for Total Hip Arthroplasty in ASCs:
Improving Accuracy, Efficiency, and Patient Satisfaction

Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) are changing the face of orthopedic procedures. THA surgeries in an ASC setting have been successful with low reoperation rates, readmission rates, infection rates, and patient satisfaction scores as high as 99%. For now, slightly more than 500 ASCs in the United States offer total joint replacement surgeries as outpatient procedures. But that number is rapidly increasing.  

Enhatch Announces Growth Investment to Make Surgeries Faster, Safer, Smarter 

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