Becker's ASC Review

41 Executive Briefing: Sponsored by: I n recent months, several payer groups have adopted policies designed to shift elective procedures, including joint replacement surgeries, to ASCs. From private insurers to CMS, migrating these procedures to ASCs is an attractive option as they seek to control costs. On top of this, the nation's population is aging, with nearly 20 percent of Americans expected to be over the age of 65 by 2030. 1 For ASCs, this momentum shift will create challenges as they look to meet this potential increased patient demand on facilities. More than ever, ASCs will need to identify processes and tools that increase efficiency and make complex procedures predictable and routine, all without sacrificing the patient experience. For many, the solution will come from robotics. Surgical robotics have already gained a foothold within hospitals and many ASCs, where they have demonstrated their ability to enhance surgical accuracy – but increased demand will likely make robotics and other technology solutions a more attractive investment for ASCs in the coming years. Becker's ASC Review recently spoke with Louis Amiot, Vice President and General Manager – Development Engineering for Worldwide Robotics at Zimmer Biomet to get his take on the positive impact robotics and technology can have on ASCs. "Of course, as I lead the development of robotics technology for Zimmer Biomet, I am incredibly passionate about the role that robotics can, and must, play as we seek to make orthopedic surgeries more streamlined, more routine and more accessible for patients and healthcare professionals alike. But we cannot innovate thoughtfully in a vacuum and the experiences, needs and insights of experienced surgeons are invaluable in our work each day," said Mr. Amiot. David W. Miller, MD*, a seasoned orthopedic surgeon who performs joint replacement surgeries assisted by the ROSA® Robotics System from Zimmer Biomet, sees extreme value in using surgical robots for outpatient joint replacements. In this article, he shares a unique perspective about what ASCs should consider when investing in robotics. Surgeon-Centered Solutions Dr. Miller has been an early adopter of surgical robotics; in fact, he was the first physician to complete a knee replacement using the ROSA Robotics System in the United States. "With a surgical robot, like ROSA, I can simply be more accurate and spend more of my energy focusing on the patient because I know that the robot is going to help streamline the complexity of these procedures," Dr. Miller said. "What's important is that a robot cannot replace a good surgeon – but a robot can take that good surgeon and make them excellent." Working with healthcare professionals like Dr. Miller, Zimmer Biomet has fine-tuned its robotic tools to augment and enhance the work they do, seamlessly integrating into their workflow and giving them the added confidence that they are making the right decisions for patients because those decisions are rooted in solid data. For an ASC, this confidence and increased accuracy may translate to improved patient satisfaction, fewer complications and an overall increase in efficiency. But beyond that, robotics is opening up new treatment options that can broaden the services that ASCs can use to differentiate their practice. For example, Zimmer Biomet recently updated its ROSA Robotics System, adding the ability to perform partial knee arthroplasty procedures in addition to total knee replacements. "We know that, in the United States, at least, partial knee replacements are not performed as often as total knee procedures despite offering a faster recovery and more natural sense of movement for many patients. The procedure can be perceived to be more complex than traditional total knee surgery, but the increased accuracy and reproducibility afforded by a robot such as ROSA gives surgeons confidence in performing the procedure and makes it a more viable option," said Dr. Miller when asked about this new functionality. "And again, the robot empowers the surgeon by providing data, intended to support decision-making for the patient. The system can be seamlessly switched between partial and total knee capabilities, so we can default to the less invasive option but still perform a total knee replacement if it becomes necessary." Enabling More Personalized Care Robotic solutions have the added benefit of ensuring that each patient gets a tailored experience, powered by data and tuned to their own anatomy, medical history and other concerns. For instance, when surgeons use ROSA Robotics, one of the first things that happens is the creation of a 3D imaged bone model of the patient's anatomy, allowing them to For ASCs, Robotics Delivers Increased Efficiency without Sacrificing Patient Experience

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