Dr. Stearns says investing in robotic platforms has the potential to
result in considerable savings and increased revenue due to better out-
comes, which limit the need for revision surgeries. That's especially
true when it comes to partial knee replacements, which are typically
more difficult to perform and have a higher failure rate than total
knees.
Surgeons can be within 5 degrees of the intended implant location
when placing components during total knee replacements and achieve
positive results, according to Dr. Illgen, but that same variance during
partial knee replacements could lead to implant failure. "Most sur-
geons who use robotics to perform a partial knee replacement won't
perform the procedure again without the technology," he says.
There are about 1 million total knee procedures performed in the
United States each year, compared with 70,000 partial knee replace-
ments, notes Dr. Illgen. Even in a busy practice, he says, partial knees
account for only 5% to 7% of joint replacement volume. But if there
isn't a facility in your community that's performing the procedures,
adding robotics could let you carve a profitable niche in the market.
Dr. Bosco points out there are non-quantifiable advantages realized
by marketing your facility as being on the cutting edge of care. For
NYU Langone Health, adding robotics quickly paid off.
The robot's manufacturer co-sponsored an advertising campaign to
promote use of the technology for partial knee replacements. During
the first 6 months of the campaign, about 80 patients called for more
information about the procedure. NYU was able to convert 25 of
those interested candidates into patients. Turns out, the patients were
inappropriate candidates for partial knees and underwent total knee
replacements, which were more profitable for the health system.
Dr. Illgen knows several surgeons who run surgery centers and says
adding robotic-assisted surgery has improved their payer mix. He
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