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pared your cut to the robot's, the robot's would be 4 times more accurate,"
says Dr. Ortiguera.
Dr. Sheth appreciates how well robots can mill around bone spurs, deformi-
ties and rods in femurs during complex primary joint replacements.
A show of seriousness
In his strategy plan for 2018, Dr. Sheth suggested that his hospital invest in an
orthopedic robot. "It's very simple. You either want to compete in this market-
place or you don't. If you want to compete, you have to put money into this to
be able to offer cutting-edge technology for patients," says Dr. Sheth, who pre-
dicts that robotic-assisted joints will be the standard of care in the near future.
Dr. Sheth sees 2 main benefits to the robot: identifying the joint line — how
much bone you take from the end of the thigh bone to the top of shin bone —
and preserving all 4 ligaments by removing just the part of the knee that's
arthritic. He's one of only 20 surgeons to have used a new knee replacement
design to perform bi-cruciate retaining knee replacements, a technically chal-
lenging surgery that preserves all 4 knee ligaments. He's done 15 so far, each
made infinitely easier because the robot milled the bone more accurately and
faster than he could.
OSM
If you want to compete in this marketplace,
you have to invest in a robot and offer your
patients cutting-edge technology.
— Neil P. Sheth, MD
