Santiam Hospital & Clinics has added some new equipment that will enhance its ability to do knee replacement surgeries.
On July 22 hospital surgeons Dr. Derek Riley and Dr. David Thorsett performed the first local knee replacement operation using the new machine, the CORI Surgical System. The equipment, including implants, was sold to the hospital by Smith+Nephew, a Watford, England, medical equipment manufacturer.
Hospital officials said that the key advantages of the new system are that patients experience quicker, smoother recoveries and regain knee function faster.
“We use real time 3D digital modeling to develop a surgical plan customized to each patients’ unique anatomy,” said a news release from the hospital. “This means our surgeon can perform the procedure more accurately than traditional knee replacement surgery.”
Hospital officials also noted that the “surgeon is able to choose from the widest selection of implants available, so implants can be precision-matched to feel more like a patient’s own knee.”
Riley noted that “the CORI provides me with real time intra-operative feedback which translates to predictably reliable outcomes for our patients.”
Also on the knee surgery team besides Riley and Thorsett are Nick Stratton and Steve Yao.
Lauren Benjamin, a hospital spokesperson, said the hospital estimates that it will perform approximately 300 knee replacement surgeries annually using the new equipment.
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, in data cited by the hospital, estimates knee replacement surgeries in the United States are expected to increase 180% between now and 2030.
Hospital officials also caution that not all patients are candidates for the knee system. Implants may not produce the same feel or function as the original knee, and individual results will vary. Potential risks include loosening, wear and infection that may result in the need for additional surgery.
Interested patients are advised to discuss such issues and the implant options with their surgeon.
