GUIDING LIGHT

In shoulder replacement surgery, as in real estate, it’s location, location, location. Placing and aligning the implant is highly critical to its overall longevity and function.

“One of the most difficult issues is getting the socket piece in place. You can’t see a lot because of the muscles in the shoulder,” says Rick Papandrea, a surgeon at Orthopaedic Associates of Wisconsin in Pewaukee, which co-manages ProHealth Care’s orthopedic services.

Earlier this year, Papandrea began using innovative new technology that pairs surgeons with an advanced computer system to improve accuracy and precision in shoulder replacement surgeries. Among the features is a pre-operative tool that helps surgeons understand their patients’ shoulder anatomy while planning the surgery through a virtual, three-dimensional simulation.

During the surgery, an infrared camera and active tracker technology work together to monitor the position and mechanical alignment of the joint replacement.

“Now you can see through everything and place implants precisely,” Papandrea says. "In some cases, it saves time and minimizes the amount of bone that we need to cut through.” He adds that the procedure may be safer, too.

The technology by Gainesville, Florida-based Exactech Inc. is in place at ProHealth Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital and ProHealth Waukesha Memorial Hospital, as well as Orthopaedic Associates.

“We think it will lead to better short-term outcomes and, more important, good longer-term outcomes,” Papandrea says.