tissue trauma. Dr.
Bosco believes those
clinical benefits con-
tribute to the continu-
ing shift of the proce-
dures from inpatient
ORs to outpatient
facilities.
Patients are dis-
charged sooner and
using less pain med-
ication and have better post-op range of motion than patients who
undergo conventional surgery, adds Dr. Illgen. He says joint function
at one-year follow-up also appears to be better in patients who under-
go robotic-assisted procedures than in those who undergo conven-
tional surgery.
"The technology has been around long enough to show it makes a
difference in outcomes," adds Dr. Illgen. "I'm confident that research
will prove that robotics is a strong addition to the joint replacement
armamentarium. Patients do well following manual surgery, but they
do even better when procedures are performed with a robot."
Finding future value
The purchase price for a robot platform is between $400,000 and $1.2
million; annual maintenance agreements cost $40,000 to $150,000 per
robot; and disposables add $750 to $1,300 to case costs.
A return on investment can be achieved after 1 year of performing
approximately 20 total knee replacements or 50 partial knee replace-
ments, according to Dr. Bosco.
A U G U S T 2 0 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 1 3
• GUIDED TOUR Surgeons make bone cuts based on a patient's specific joint
anatomy.
Cleveland
Clinic
