Alvarado Hospital First in San Diego to Perform OMNIBotics™ Robotic-Assisted Total Knee Replacement

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Alvarado Hospital announced today that successful surgery has been performed on patients using OMNIBotics™ Robotic-Assisted Total Knee Replacement, a procedure for patients experiencing debilitating pain caused by joint degeneration due to osteoarthritis and other joint disorders. Alvarado Hospital is the first in San Diego to acquire this technology.

This innovative procedure uses robotic technology driven by a modern surgical navigation platform to allow the surgeon the ability to precisely plan and execute a procedure that is specific to each individual patient, and optimizes prosthetic implant placement.

“This innovative, computer-navigated, and robotic-assisted technology provides the capability for the surgeon to customize surgical treatment for each individual patient, ultimately achieving unprecedented precision with improved clinical outcomes,” said Dr. James Bates, medical director of Alvarado Hospital’s Advanced Joint Institute.

The robotic technology allows the orthopedist to plan and execute a surgical procedure that is truly specific to the patient’s condition and anatomy. This unique procedure helps enable the surgeon to plan implant fit and alignment before any bone resections are performed, ensuring the desired outcome.  As a bonus, no pre-operative imaging studies such as CTs or MRIs are necessary.

The robotic-assisted system uses a patented BONE MORPHING™ technology that quickly builds and displays a 3D model of the individual patient’s anatomy in real-time during the surgical procedure. Using this 3D imagery, the surgeon can more safely and accurately implement the surgical procedure. The computer system communicates the surgeon’s plan to the robotic guidance system, which allows the surgeon to perform precision bone resections and optimize ligamentous or soft-tissue balancing achieving the very best clinical possible outcome for each patient.

“The robotic-assisted knee arthroplasty procedure is helping my patients return to daily activities and stay active, with the knowledge that the prosthetic implant has been optimally placed,” Dr. Bates said. “By the additional incorporation of minimally invasive surgical techniques, blood conservation strategies, and rapid rehabilitation protocols, patients are less likely to suffer complications that may occur in traditional surgery. This addition to our existing Marshall-Steele Program puts us on the very leading-edge of joint replacement surgery.”

With less trauma during surgery, recipients may experience a quicker recovery with less pain. The precision of the technology helps ensure ideal leg alignment, which can result in less stress on the knee joint, meaning the joint replacement will last longer.

• Patient Specific Surgery – The procedure uses a patented Bone Morphing™ technology that quickly builds a 3D model of the patient’s knee during surgery. The surgeon can safely and accurately plan his or her bone resections and implant placement based on each patient’s anatomy. Once the implant position is optimized, the robotic system will position the cutting guides. The surgeon is not dependent on making a pre-operative plan based on CT scans or X-rays, therefore saving the patient from unnecessary exposure to high amounts of radiation.
• Precise Leg Alignment – Well-defined algorithms and adjustable resection guides enable the surgeon to accurately reconstruct the mechanical axis of the patient’s leg. This advanced technology allows the surgeon to reproduce the leg’s mechanical axis quickly and easily. During surgery, a real time assessment of limb alignment and soft tissue tension can be made for surgeons to verify that their surgery was executed with the utmost precision.