Penn Highlands DuBois (Pa.) has performed 200 robotic-assisted hip and knee replacements, WTAJ reported July 29.
Surgical robots for joint replacement are designed to prevent soft tissue damage for greater bone preservation. Current systems feature 3D preoperative planning software and data analytics to improve outcomes for total and partial joint replacements.
"I've done the non-robotic joint on one side before we got the robotic program here. And then I do the other side with the robot," , Matthew Varacallo, MD, the hospital's director of orthopedic surgery, told WTAJ. "Every single patient, and I have several now, told me across the board they got off the cane quicker [and] they had less pain."
Penn Highlands DuBois acquired the robot in September and said it is the first hospital in the region with the technology, according to the report.