Carlos Gomez, MD, Orthopedic surgeon discusses personalized joint replacement surgery with a patient.
Personalized Joint Replacement
Wood County Hospital was the first hospital in Northwest Ohio where patients can undergo personalized joint replacement surgery, which offers numerous advantages over traditional knee replacement surgery.
A preoperative MRI of the joint is taken instead of an X-ray. The image is used in the manufacturing of a customized alignment system that is used in surgery. The MRI gives the manufacturer the ability to re-create the patient’s anatomy in 3-dimension. With the alignment system, there is no guesswork involved when the surgeon positions the new joint in the patient’s knee. The surgical procedure is similar to traditional total knee replacement, with a few exceptions:
- During surgery the personalized positioning guides are placed directly onto the patient’s femur and tibia. These custom guides help the surgeon place pins that will secure metal-cut blocks that will guide the saw as it removes the thin layer of damaged bone and cartilage.
- The surgery is significantly shorter than traditional knee replacement surgery which means less risk of infection.
- Personalized knee replacement surgery is less invasive, the implant placement is optimized and the joint lasts longer.
The longevity of this type of joint replacement makes it ideal for patients in their 50s and 60s. They can enjoy all of the benefits of the new joint as they remain active for years to come. Wood County Hospital offers community education programs about personalized joint replacement. Join us for our upcoming information seminar on Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. Click here to register or call 419-373-4164.
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