Florham Park-based Summit Health orthopedic surgeon Dr. Eric Black performed the nation’s first complete robotic-assisted shoulder replacement surgery in a freestanding ambulatory surgery center.
He used the ROSA® Robotics Platform by Zimmer Biomet to complete an anatomic and reverse shoulder replacement at the Summit Atlantic Surgery Center (SASC) in the Summit Health medical facility in Florham Park on April 1.
The procedure offers patients a more precise, personalized, and targeted path to recovery than traditional shoulder replacement surgery.
Shoulder replacement surgery is often used to treat arthritis, rotator cuff tears, and joint degeneration. These procedures can greatly improve a patient’s quality of life by helping them move more easily, reach and lift their arm comfortably, enjoy pain-free sleep, and return to sports and other activities.
The ROSA® system uses preoperative CT imaging to create a three-dimensional surgical plan. Advanced sensors and a robotic arm assist the surgeon in placing the implant with less than one millimeter of variance from the planned position.
Dr. Black said in a release that until now, there wasn’t a way to perfectly reproduce preoperative plans in real time on the humerus and glenoid.
With this procedure, patients may also experience shorter recovery times and reduced postoperative discomfort compared with traditional surgical approaches.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved robotic systems for shoulder surgery.
Summit Health has previously implemented robotic-assisted technology in outpatient hip and knee replacement procedures.
Last month, Hackensack Meridian Southern Ocean Medical Center (SOMC) was designated as a Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery by the Surgical Review Corporation, a nonprofit patient safety organization.
