Decorah, Iowa-based WinnMed has received approval from its board of trustees for the purchase of a Stryker Mako robot for orthopedic surgeries, according to a June 8 report from Decorah News.
The purchase of the robot, which will assist physicians with knee and hip replacements, was encouraged at a board meeting by physician Adam Tagliero, MD, who plans to join the WinnMed system in September.
Of the more than 1,000 orthopedic surgeries performed in the WinnMed service area last year, only one-third were done in Decorah. Others were outsourced to more technologically advanced clinics in Rochester, Minn., or La Crosse, Wis., despite being over an hour drive away. Health system leaders at the board meeting said a surgical robot will help keep some of those surgeries local.