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Understanding Orthopedic Treatments

Hey everyone, my name is Belinda. When I was a young girl, I injured the muscles in my legs performing complex gymnastic moves. I was under the care of an orthopedist for several months during the recovery period. I had to complete a number of strengthening exercises to regain my range of motion and mobility. The orthopedist performed regular examinations to determine if the given treatment was working. I will use this site to talk about different orthopedic treatments. I hope you will visit my site often to learn about this fascinating subject.

Understanding Orthopedic Treatments

Joint Replacement Surgery: Reasons To Consider Robotic-Assisted Orthopedic Surgery

by Stanley Pierce

The success of hip or knee joint replacement surgery requires precision on the part of the surgeon in placing the artificial implant. Because robotic- or computer-assisted surgery aids surgeons in achieving more successful patient outcomes, its application is becoming widespread, particularly in the area of orthopedic surgery.

Although robotic-assisted surgery generally improves clinical results, the final result still depends on the surgeon's ability and the severity of your condition prior to surgery. If you are a potential candidate for robotic orthopedic surgery, you may find it helpful to learn more about the benefits and how it works before deciding.

Advantages Robotic-Assisted Surgery Offers

  1. Interprets CT (computed tomography) scan information that the surgeon uses in performing joint replacement surgery. The robot's use of CT scan provides a 3-dimensional model of the surgical area, giving the surgeon a clearer view of the surgical field in addition to better depth perception. Three-dimensional cameras also provide higher magnification, which allows the surgeon to see better in performing the procedure.

  2. Helps the surgeon position the implant more accurately – a factor that helps avoid impingement and dislocation of the implant. Accurate positioning of the implant – particularly correct alignment of the components – also contributes to achieving equal leg length following the surgery. Failure of artificial joint replacements often are due to misalignment, which frequently requires a second and more complicated surgery.

  3. Lowers the risk of damaging surrounding tissues during the procedure. The robot's software maps out the bones within the area where the surgeon will work. Although the surgeon controls the robotic arm, the robot will apply resistive force if the surgeon's hand gets too near soft tissue or is about to cut into bone at the wrong spot.

  4. Leads to a safer surgery and shorter rehabilitation period so that a patient is able to return to his or her normal activities sooner. While the surgery itself takes longer than a traditional joint replacement surgery, patients tend to experience fewer complications, reduced risk of infection, and less postoperative pain than open surgery, leading to a shorter hospital stay and faster rehabilitation.

  5. Allows for smaller surgical incisions – which can mean quicker healing time – and less blood loss during surgery. Although it typically is considered minimally invasive surgery, robotic surgery gives the surgeon more control – particularly when performing complex procedures.

  6. Improves long-term function of the joint implant, leading to a better quality of life for the patient.

Who Benefits

Generally, individuals who do not respond to medication and other non-surgical treatment may benefit from robotic-assisted orthopedic surgery. Although not every hospital offers robotic-assisted surgery because of the cost, as technology advances, this type of surgery is becoming more affordable and available at more hospitals. Depending on your health insurance plan, minimally-invasive surgeries, including robotic-assisted orthopedic surgery, may be covered. Contact a business, such as Ultimate Sports, for more information.   

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