The Intelligent Surgery Blog

Orthopedic surgeons have always been guided by the pursuit of excellence. Rigorous science, ingenuity, technology, and good old-fashioned elbow grease helped advance the field by leaps.

The main focus of orthopedic surgeries today is faster surgeries, improved outcomes, and satisfied patients. However, many things stand in the way of achieving this goal.

At Enhatch, we strongly believe that open, digital ecosystems will deliver a universe of innovation to enhance the future of surgery, not only for orthopaedics but the entire medical device industry.

Spine surgeons today face a much larger surgical burden than ever before. Case complexity and volume of surgeries are on the rise. Meanwhile, a changing healthcare system is rapidly reducing the amount of time available for surgeons to address these issues. Surgeons are expected to increase the number of surgeries they perform. This growing pressure may shorten the time available for preoperative planning.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is expected to save US Healthcare $150 billion annually by 2026. Connected technologies, preliminary diagnosis tools, and intelligent assistants are among the top ten drivers. For surgeons, AI-powered predictive analytics can help understand preoperative risk, increase efficiency, and improve patient outcomes. 

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.