Robotic Knee Surgery Comes to Washington County

Orthopedic surgeon, Wendy Boucher Crawford, MD, and the medical staff at Calais Community Hospital are excited to offer Zimmer Biomet's ROSA^® Knee System, which brings together robotic technology with industry-leading knee implants to help surgeons personalize surgical procedures for their patients and is designed to help perform total knee replacement. It includes features to assist with bone resections and assessing the state of soft tissues to facilitate implant positioning intraoperatively. Data provided by robotic surgery system assists with complex decision-making and enables surgeons to use computer and software technology to control and move surgical instruments, allowing for greater precision and flexibility during procedures.

Total joint replacement is one of the most commonly performed, elective surgical procedures in the United States and it is becoming an increasingly popular outpatient procedure at surgery centers across the country "For everyone involved - surgeons, medical staff and, most importantly, patients - robotic knee surgery has the potential to offer a number of key benefits and advantages," Dr. Crawford said. "Patients who have surgeries using robotic assists usually have shorter hospital stays, have lower infection rates, and experience less scarring and faster recoveries. We know the decision to have joint replacement is often a difficult one for patients to make, and we believe these robotically-assisted technologies have the potential to make it an easier one moving forward."

Calais Community Hospital President & CEO, Steve Lail, on bringing robotically-assisted surgery to Washington County, "To our knowledge, we are the only Critical Access Hospital in the state that offers this technology, and we are beyond pleased to be in a position where we can provide this service to our community."

For more information on how patients may benefit from using robotic knee surgery for total knee replacement, call Calais Community Hospital Orthopedics at 454-8432.

Dr. Boucher Crawford is a board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon with over 18 years of experience. She earned her medical degree at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. Her internship and residency were both completed at Madigan Army Medical Center. Dr. Boucher Crawford provides surgical and non-surgical treatments for most general orthopedic conditions including issues of the knee, shoulder, elbow, and hand as well as ports health issues and injuries, fracture care, joint replacement, pediatric orthopedic care, and osteoarthritis/osteoporosis.