Orthopedic surgeons at St. Luke’s University Health Network recently became the first to offer knee replacement procedures using the new VELYS Robotic-Assisted Solution, a next-generation robotic technology that uses data tailored to each patient’s anatomy.
The first procedure using this robotic technology was performed on Sept. 14, 2021 at St Luke’s, with orthopedic surgeon Adam Sadler, DO, performing the procedure at St. Luke’s Warren Campus in Phillipsburg, N.J. The first case in Pennsylvania was to be performed at St. Luke’s University Hospital in Bethlehem in October.
Approved by the FDA in January 2021, the VELYS orthopedic robotic helps increase surgical accuracy and precision, improve recovery, increase mobility and accelerate the return to desired activities. The system integrates proprietary digital software, anatomical imaging and a table-mounted surgical saw, which sharpens the surgeon’s visualization and precision of bone cuts during total knee replacement surgery.
The most common reason for patients to undergo knee replacement surgery is osteoarthritis, a progressive condition that worsens over time.
Knee Osteoarthritis and Knee Replacement
The most common reason for knee replacement is osteoarthritis, a progressive condition that worsens over time. According to the Arthritis Foundation, more than 27 million people in the U.S. have osteoarthritis, with the knee being one of the most commonly affected areas.
Knee replacement surgery is frequently a patient’s treatment choice when activity modification, medicine, injections and physical therapy fail to reduce pain and improve overall function. St. Luke’s orthopedic surgeons perform hundreds of total knee replacement procedures each year.
Robotic-Assisted Knee Replacement
Robotic-assisted knee replacement has been performed in the U.S. only since 2006, said Dr. Sadler, who serves as the network director of the orthopedic robotic program for St. Luke’s University Health Network. The VELYS Robotic-Assisted Solution offers benefits beyond those of the standard robotic techniques that are currently available.
“This innovative technology allows the marriage of surgical skills with precise execution of a plan using advanced cutting-edge technology,” said Dr. Sadler. “It’s a tool that will help us move the needle forward as we further improve outcomes in knee replacement.”
Working in tandem with the ATTUNE® Knee System, the VELYS system provides reproducible accuracy in implant positioning, leading to increased stability, reduced pain, better range of motion and greater patient satisfaction.
St. Luke’s orthopedic surgeon Chinenye Nwachuku, MD, said the VELYS system facilitates pre-operative planning, real-time assessment and precision navigation and control of the surgical saw, reducing the need for soft tissue manipulation and lessening post-operative pain.
“This system further increases our chances of achieving overall better outcomes,” he said.
“It will help us ‘push the envelope’ in this exacting procedure, to increase the life of implant, reduce pain and accelerate rehabilitation,” added Dr. Sadler.
“The new technology is exciting,” said St. Luke’s orthopedic surgeon Patrick Brogle, MD. “It should also result in less post-operative pain and blood loss, which can be common side effects of the surgery.”
Dr. Brogle noted that a typical, modern prosthetic joint should last 15 to 20 years.
“We have every size of joint implant at our disposal, and this system will help us enhance the implanting process,” he said.
The VELYS Robotic-Assisted Solution was developed by DePuy Synthes, the Orthopaedic Company of Johnson & Johnson.
Note: This local health news is brought to you in partnership with St. Luke’s University Health Network.
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