Knee Surgery Info

There’s a difference between navigating with a compass and finding your way with a Global Positioning System.
That’s how Ilan Shapiro, an orthopedic surgeon with Aurora Medical Center, describes the difference between performing knee replacement surgery without computer assistance as opposed to with assistance.
He performed the first computer-assisted orthopedic knee-replacement surgery at Aurora Medical Center on Oshkosh resident Dorothy Voss Tuesday.
After the surgery, which lasted two-and-a-half hours, both surgeon and patient were pleased.
“I wasn’t nervous to be the first patient because I have all the confidence in my doctor,” Voss said, while recovering in her room.
Voss said knee trouble caused her knee to lock up often, and a loss of cartilage left her in pain as bone rubbed on bone while she walked. When it locked up at 2 a.m. recently, she decided it was time to have surgery. When Shapiro suggested being the first patient to receive the computer-assisted surgery, she didn’t hesitate.
“I was excited. He said, ‘You don’t have to,’ but I said, ‘This is great!’” Voss said. “The hospital is very progressive. They’re bringing the new to town, and that’s what we need.”
Shapiro said Voss’ surgery went flawlessly, which is just what he was hoping for with computer assistance.
In computer-assisted surgery, a computer maps out the anatomy of the patient, allowing a visual for surgeons to make incisions and perform surgery with utmost accuracy. Doctors are given detailed information allowing them to balance the ligaments and use smaller incisions.
“This technology gives us incredible accuracy when making cuts, which is important to the longevity of the device (used to replace the knee),” said Shapiro, who’s done knee replacement surgeries for 20 years. “You can really be confident of this.”
The science behind the surgery has become much more apparent, he said, and technological advances have helped that process.
Charles Shabino, senior medical consultant for the Wisconsin Hospital Association, called technological advances in the medical field exciting.
“Many people have the same response to this. They think computers are removing the doctor and surgical team from the operation, and they’re really not,” Shabino said. “Computers just give them better tools to assist them with a surgical procedure. It allows for the surgeon to be more precise.”
This procedure, he said, is just one of many new technological areas coming forward in surgery.
Shapiro said the computer-assisted surgery doesn’t directly reduce recovery time, but the ability to make smaller, more accurate incisions offers the potential for a quicker, less painful recovery.
The new procedure will now be used during all knee-replacement surgeries.
“Overall, there’s been a dramatic difference in knee replacement over 20 years,” Shapiro said. “We’ve seen tremendous advancements.”

Knee Surgery News

Knee Surgery

Knee Surgery News