BCH First in Central Iowa to Offer Sensor-Assisted Technology for Knee Replacement
Boone County Hospital now utilizes an innovative sensor-assisted technology called VERASENSE in total knee replacement (TKR). This disposable orthopaedic device used for primary and revision TKR is the latest innovation in sensor and wireless communications.
Dr. Craig Mahoney, orthopaedic surgeon, Iowa Ortho and the Boone County Hospital (BCH) Specialty Clinic, is currently utilizing this technology for TKR at BCH; BCH is the first hospital in central Iowa to use VERASENSE.
During surgery, the surgeon temporarily inserts VERASENSE between the components of the knee implant. As the knee is taken through a full range of motion, the sensor wirelessly sends data to a monitor in the operating room. This data helps the surgeon to make adjustments that affect soft tissue balance and implant position – two factors that contribute to a successful TKR. Once the implant position is stabilized, the sensor is removed and replaced with a permanent implant.
Knee instability is a leading cause of patient dissatisfaction after total knee replacement surgery. In a study of 278 patients, the use of VERASENSE was shown to reduce post-op pain, accelerate patient activity levels, and increase functional outcomes and patient satisfaction. The outcome measures reported in this study were highly significant. Ninety-seven percent of patients whose knees were balanced using VERASENSE reported they were satisfied to very satisfied at one and two years following their total knee replacement. This compares favorably to peer-reviewed publications that show an average of 81 percent patient satisfaction after a total knee replacement. That’s a 16 percent improvement in patient satisfaction for balanced knees - the first significant-notable increase of patient-reported satisfaction after TKR in the last decade.
Before VERASENSE, surgeons generally relied on their “best judgment” in determining what “felt” like a balanced knee. The subjectivity of TKR, coupled with improper soft tissue balance and implant position, may result in premature implant failure and the need for revision surgery in the future.
“VERASENSE advances our decision-making about soft tissue adjustments from a feel-based art, to a quantifiable science,” says Dr. Mahoney. “We now have real-time data to support intraoperative decisions in our efforts to arrive at a better balanced knee.”
Dr. Mahoney will be the guest speaker at the July 17 Educating and Empowering U program offered by the Boone County Hospital (BCH) Foundation and will talk about this new device and the success of it. The program is at noon and located in the BCH 4th Floor Conference Room. A complimentary meal will be provided. To RSVP, email sbehn@bchmail.org or call (515) 433-8470.
For more information, click on the following:
