The Intelligent Surgery Blog

Spine surgeons across the United States are wondering how to manage their practice and caseloads amid lowered reimbursements. Even before the pandemic, the world of spine surgeries had been experiencing some seismic shifts, including:

1. Payment models evolving from the traditional fee-for-service, 
2. Growing patient demand for Minimally Invasive Surgeries (MIS), 
3. Rising expectations from patients for outpatient procedures that allow them to return to their daily lives faster. 

COVID-19 accelerated these trends.

-     86% of surgeons reported an increase in preoperative workload before Total Joint Arthroplasty or TJA (2020 AAHKS surveys)

-     There is a huge need for faster, safer, and more accurate preoperative efficiency for elective orthopedic procedures

-     Intelligent AI-based preoperative planning solutions can ease the overall preoperative burden for surgeons and their staff

SUMMARY POINTS

• 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.  

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.

– 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?

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