Laredo Bone and Joint Center Now Offers Arm-assisted Robotics for Hip and Knee Replacement Surgery

9/17/2018

In 2016, Laredo Medical Center (LMC) introduced the Laredo Bone and Joint Center.

“This is not your typical hospital stay,” said Dr. Arie Salzman, Medical Director of the Laredo Bone and Joint Center and part of LMC’s team of orthopedic surgeons, including Drs. Jason G. DeFrancis, Yvel P. Moreau, Anish G. Potty and Ramon M. Soriano.

These orthopedic surgeons work to provide relief to individuals who suffer from chronic joint pain with robotic hip and knee replacement surgery.

The Laredo Bone and Joint Center Experience
LMC Chief Nursing Officer Christine Martinez said that the Laredo Bone and Joint Center was established as a way for the hospital to offer consistent care for joint replacement surgery.

“Our goal is making sure the standard of care is followed throughout the entire process,” said Martinez. “We want to get them up, get them mobile and get them home as soon as possible.”

An aspect of the Laredo Bone and Joint Center is that individuals having elective surgery are not considered patients. Instead, they are recognized as partners with the Center to help them find their freedom from pain.

“We do not see these individuals as being sick,” Dr. Salzman explained. “We see them as healthy persons who are coming to the hospital because they have hip or knee pain, and want to live a better quality of life.”

A Care Coordinator oversees the partners’ entire stay, and is their resource before, during, and after discharge.

During their hospital stay, partners wear comfortable clothing instead of hospital gowns. After surgery, they follow a regimen on a unit that provides care for individuals having joint replacement surgery. They learn how to care for themselves and participate in group and personal therapy sessions. Furthermore, motivational distance posters are located throughout the halls, and provide a guide for partners to measure how much they walk. The posters offer distance measurements that partners are challenged to reach.

Robotic-arm Assisted Technology
In May 2018, the Laredo Bone and Joint Center began to offer three robotic-arm assisted applications for total knee, partial knee and total hip replacements.

“With this new technology, we provide each partner with a personalized surgical experience based on their specific diagnosis and anatomy,” said Dr. Salzman. “Using a virtual 3D model, the system allows surgeons to create each partner’s surgical plan preoperatively before entering the operating room. During surgery, we can validate that plan and make any necessary adjustments while guiding the robotic arm to execute that plan.”

Care doesn’t end after discharge. Partners receive calls from the Center’s staff soon after discharge, and again one to two weeks later.

The Center’s team evaluates each partner on multiple clinical, functional and patient satisfaction metrics, which are then analyzed as outcomes to improve processes and identify ways to better serve its partners.

The Laredo Bone and Joint Center is accepting new partners. To learn more, or to reserve your spot at an upcoming free Laredo Bone and Joint Center seminar, call Gladys Martinez at (956) 796-3009 or (956) 796-3223.

Jason G. DeFrancis, M.D., Orthopedic Surgery