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Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Robot Surgery Debuts in Van Nuys

Valley surgeon Dr. Jaime Hernandez performed the first outpatient knee replacement surgery earlier this month using the CORI robot, according to a statement from the Center for Orthopedic Surgery in Van Nuys.Unveiled by U.K.-based medical device company Smith & Nephew just several weeks before the surgery took place on Sept. 3, the robot allows a surgeon more precision while operating, the orthopedic center said. That translates to a reduced cost overall because there’s usually no overnight stay, and the surgery itself is done in less time, Hernandez said — the more accurate bone cuts are during an operation, the less a surgeon will have to deal with soft tissue damage and bleeding.Preoperative planning with the CORI doesn’t require CT scans or MRIs either, instead using 3D digital modeling to better understand each patient’s “unique knee anatomy,” the center added in its statement.“(It’s) another great leap in the technological advancement of knee replacement for patients around the country,” Dr. Paul Simic, managing director at the Southern California Orthopedic Institute in Van Nuys, said in a statement. “We are committed to innovation to offer our patients and orthopedic patients everywhere the very best, and together, we want to congratulate Dr. Hernandez on his achievement and continued dedication to his patients and our field of medicine.” More people will be able to get this type of surgery in an outpatient setting, Hernandez told the Business Journal, another cost saving and secure measure welcome to many patients during the pandemic.“What I tell my patients is you’re not going to get a hospital-acquired infection if you don’t go to the hospital,” he added, referencing not only COVID-19, but other infections people tend to pick up at a hospital.“The way that I see it, not only is it safe to do it in the surgery center, but the technology allows it to be better than most hospitals, so that’s kind of big news, combining the two, the robot plus the surgery center,” continued Hernandez.Medicare approved coverage for such surgeries last year, but the change took effect this year, Hernandez said. “There has been a trend to go more for outpatient (procedures). Personally, I’ve been doing outpatient knee and hip replacements for about six years now,” he added. “The idea was and is to provide a safe alternative to the hospital for patients who don’t need the hospital, so usually younger, healthier patients compared to elderly people.”Currently, a third of his patients can have their surgeries at the orthopedic surgery center. Hernandez expects that number to bump up to half or at the most two-thirds that can opt for an outpatient joint replacement because of the Medicare policy change.Hernandez takes patients at the orthopedic center’s Valencia office too, but Van Nuys is the only location for CORI-assisted surgeries.“Joint replacement kind of leads the way in this conversation; this will be applied to other surgeries in other fields, like heart surgery,” said Hernandez.

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