HELENA — The St. Peter’s orthopedic surgeons have a new teammate, a knee replacement robot, that will provide quicker recovery time for patients.
Dr. Kerry Hale and Dr. Jeff Dickson are both orthopedic surgeons specializing in hip and knee replacements.
"I think anytime we see something that potentially can improve the outcome for our patients we are going to invest in that and push that forward," Dickson says.
Which is exactly why St. Peter’s Health purchased the robot.
The team has been using computer-guided hip replacements for a few years and feels the addition of the Velys robot is the next step in providing the best experience they can for their patients.
Hale says, “Every knee is different and so it is allowing us to tailor the way that we are putting the knee in to fit the patient.”
This precision is something that will help with a speedier recovery time and help surgeons better understand the patient’s anatomy.
The robot has two sides and the first is off to the side of the patient.
I got to step into the Operation Room to see the robot up close.
“This is where all the data points that we gather on the patient are transmitted to and they are picked up through the sensors and we use little sensors on the patients to map out where the knee is, how it is balanced and how it is moving in real-time," Dickson explained.
The other side of the robot is part of the operation and Dr. Hale showed me how it works.
“This is actually an arm that will move into position and there is a saw that goes on here which we use for the knee replacement surgery," Hales says. "We are actually making the saw cuts but the robot is putting the arm into the exact position we want to be in.”
If you are in need of a hip or knee replacement and want to be a part of St. Peter’s new technology you can schedule an appointment through the orthopedic department.
