planned route.
The question of cost
Despite the increasingly well-documented advantages of using robot-
ic-assisted platforms for total knee and total hip procedures, many
facilities remain understandably hesitant to invest several million dol-
lars into acquiring a platform. "You have to have enough volume to
justify the cost," says Paul Miller, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at
Monument Health Orthopedic & Specialty Hospital in Rapid City, S.D.
"You need to amortize it over time, so you'll see a return on the invest-
ment."
It's important to weigh the short-term investment challenges with
the long-term marketing potential and new opportunities robotics can
afford your facility. Patients are playing a much more active role in
their care, and waves of these savvy shoppers are seeking out facili-
ties that offer robotics.
"If you're in a large market, being able to advertise that you have a
robot can help drive patients to you," says Dr. Miller.
This uptick in interest from patients — as well as the positive data
from surgeons who have been using the platforms for almost a
decade — have forced many facilities to reconsider incorporating
robotics into their orthopedic repertoire.
Outpatient centers that have invested in robotic platforms for ortho-
pedic work have noticed an increase in patients actively seeking out
robotic assistance for their surgeries. "Patients come to us from liter-
ally all over the country," says Dr. Ortiguera. "They travel to us look-
ing for centers that have experience with robotics. There's no ques-
tion patients are attuned to this technology and are seeking it out."
The increasing use of robotics has led to concerns about whether
tech may compensate for a lack of familiarity with traditional, manual
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