Hello and welcome to Living in the Lehigh Valley, where our focus is your health and wellness.

in the Lehigh Valley, where our focus is your health and wellness.

I'm your host, Brittany Sweeney.

Robots are advancing medical procedures every day.

Knee replacements were once only inpatient surgeries that required an overnight stay for recovery.

that required an overnight stay for recovery.

Now, with the help of robotics, doctors at a Lehigh Valley surgery center are able to perform more precise knee replacements are able to perform more precise knee replacements and have the patient recovering at home that same day.

John Duddek seems to be walking around without a care in the world.

Well, there's still a bit of pain and it's a bit stiff, but modern day medicine is great.

It's hard to tell that the New Tripoli man had knee surgery just a few weeks ago I've been having knee problems for the past six or seven years I've been having knee problems for the past six or seven years and I've been getting shots.

Cortisone shots.

Shots work well for a while and then all of a sudden they don't work quite as well.

Then all of a sudden they don't work quite as well.

And then it's time to really do something.

Not just any knee surgery.

His procedure was robotic.

My first thought was, wow, technology has really come a long way.

Technology has really come a long way.

That's correct.

Since the beginning of the year, doctors with OAA Orthopedic Specialists are now performing outpatient robotic knee surgeries at the Surgery Center of Allentown.

robotic knee surgeries at the surgery center of Allentown.

When we do this, it is in quotes, When we do this, it is in quotes.

"Carpentry" on human beings we're changing a knee joint, and it's in mechanical terms, changing the bearings out in somebody's joint that has become worn and arthritic.

Arthritic means you've lost all the Arthritic means you've lost all the nice, shiny cartilage on the end of the bone shiny cartilage on the ends of the bone and you have bone rubbing on bone, and you have bone rubbing on bone, deformity, pain, stiffness.

deformity, pain, stiffness.

And we would treat this by replacing those surfaces with metal and plastic.

And we would treat this by replacing those surfaces with metal and plastic.

So how long are you out now?

Two weeks.

I'm at two weeks.

Yes.

Dr. Gregor Hawk is Duddek's orthopedic surgeon.

I find that this advanced technology has really made a big difference for our patients.

They have to be select patients, but it keeps them out of the hospital, keeps their costs down, keeps their costs down, keeps them away from the sick patients that are in hospital, and I think provides overall satisfaction and much faster return to life in activity and function.

overall satisfaction and much faster return to life and activity and function.

Dr. Hawk is part of a group of physicians now using this robotic technology to make more precise cuts during surgery.

to make more precise cuts during surgery.

And so that allows us to more precisely manage And so that allows us to more precisely manage how we want to make that knee align in space.

His colleague, Dr. Paul Pollice, says joint knee replacements are a very complicated hinge joint.

So the more accurate the procedure, the better the recovery.

So the more accurate the procedure, the better the recovery.

The robot and the navigation allows us to take this to a higher level of appreciation of some of the differences in shape, size and length of bone that one person might bring to their surgery versus another.

that one person might bring to their surgery versus another.

We really find that the the sweet spot for this is having done surgeries in a traditional manner and then bringing all that wealth of experience with the robot and then bringing all that wealth of experience with the robot and with the technology to even fine tune some of the things that that we're trying to achieve during a case.

Dr. Pollice, who was the chief of joint replacement, says the group had to go through an extensive state licensure and state approval process to be able to do outpatient surgery.

and state approval process to be able to do outpatient surgery.

He adds, not everyone is a candidate for the procedure where the patient goes home the same day they came in.

Their physiology, in other words, how they present their general well being Their physiology, in other words, how they present their general well being Their general health is very important.

Obviously, somebody that has several risk factors Obviously, somebody that has several risk factors that makes it more difficult for them to recover and or not be able to safely have their surgery at a place like our facility here are going to still be done in a hospital setting with an overnight stay.

setting with an overnight stay.

However, Dr. Pollice and Dr. Hawk say Duddek was physically fit and had a support system at home, Hawk say Dudek was physically fit and had a support system at home, making him the optimal patient for robotic knee surgery.

I was actually here from 8:10 in the morning and I left at 3:30 in the afternoon.

and I left at 330 in the afternoon.

Within hours of doctors working on his knee.

Within hours of doctors working on his knee, Dudek was up and walking around Duddek was up and walking around.

Now a couple of weeks out, Now, a couple of weeks out, he says his arthritis pain is gone.

he says his arthritis pain is gone.

Now, a couple of weeks out, he says his arthritis pain is gone.

The biggest thing is follow instructions.

Following instructions the doctor gives you.

You'll be fine.

You'll be fine.

John was so happy with the results of his most recent knee surgery.

John was so happy with the results of his most recent knee surgery.

He will return soon to get his other knee done.

He will return soon to get his other knee done.

Other providers in the Lehigh Valley offer similar surgeries.

That will do it for this edition of Living in the Lehigh Valley.

That will do it for this edition of Living in the Lehigh Valley.

I'm Brittany Sweeney, hoping you stay happy and healthy.