We received our Velys Robot for knee replacement a couple of months ago, in June 2021. UWVMC (Valley Medical Center in Renton, WA) was the first site in the nation for commercial use of this system from DePuy Synthes. After training our operating room staff, I started using the robotic system in late June. We have since performed 40 cases with this device and have found it to be very useful for planning our alignment and soft tissue balancing. The robotic portion which guides the execution of the developed plan is extremely accurate, giving us precise bone cuts and excellent balance of our knees.
Our patients ask: what are the advantages? The advantages vary depending on the experience of the surgeon. Less experienced surgeons can gain valuable information, and accuracy that would normally take years to accrue. More experienced specialists gain a fine-tuning of their outcomes and increased reproducibility of results. It allows us to challenge some of our established paradigms for alignment and implant positioning. Outcomes from joint replacement are dependent on several factors: the surgeon's development of a plan, execution of the plan, the patient's participation in the process and recovery, and support for the patient by various caregivers. We have been extremely pleased with the outcomes of our patients using Velys.
As we transition to more and more same-day discharge for joint replacement patients use of enabling technologies such as the Velys Robotic-Assisted Solutions will allow us to deliver better care, more efficiently. We are excited to bring this new technology to our patients at UWVMC and, in the future, at our new outpatient surgery center opening this fall on our campus.