Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute has announced that it is one of the first in the nation to offer artificial intelligence assistance in hip replacement procedures to optimize patient recovery and mobility following surgery.
“Here at the Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute, we recently were able to offer navigated hip replacement as well as confirmation of the hip with artificial intelligence-aided X-ray. This technology provides immediate feedback in the operating room about whether the surgeon hit the target, allowing us unprecedented accuracy and efficiency during surgery,” said Dr. George Haidukewych, director of orthopedic trauma, chief of complex joint replacement, and academic chairman at Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute. “It’s really beautiful technology, it’s an exciting day for me.”
Some of the most common reasons for dissatisfaction with a hip replacement include getting the leg lengths wrong, and poor biomechanics resulting in reduced range of motion. These are all issues which are prevented by the simulation modeling allowing Orlando Health orthopedic surgeons to put the hip replacement in with accuracy to the degree and to the millimeter that is appropriate for the individual patient, then applying artificial intelligence to the X-rays taken in the operating room to confirm the placement. This also reduces the amount of time the patient is under anesthesia.
Dr. Haidukewych specializes in total hip and total knee replacements as well as orthopedic trauma. Patients seek out his expertise after experiencing failed and infected total hip and total knee replacements at other medical facilities, and in reconstruction of the joints after trauma.
In 2017, Dr. Haidukewych was inducted into the International Hip Society, an exclusive association of joint surgeons from all over the globe that have demonstrated excellence in hip surgery. The society is comprised of top surgeons from various countries who specialize in hip replacement surgery. Members convene multiple times throughout the year to discuss difficult cases and share best practices. New members must be voted in by current society members. He is also an award-winning researcher, published more than 100 peer reviewed studies and book chapters and has presented hundreds of educational lectures on trauma and hip and knee replacement. Dr. Haidukewych holds several patents and developed multiple innovative implants for fracture fixation and joint replacement.
Total hip and knee replacement has changed since his early career, when only manual confirmation of implant placement was available. “Today,” says Dr. Haidukewych, “we do pre-operative planning to make the hip very specific to patients’ activities, such as yoga or golf. So we use computer simulation to tell us where to put the hip. Then we use computer-aided navigation to hit our target to the degree. Now, using artificial intelligence in our X-rays, we can get millimeter-specific details on how the surgeon restored the patient’s anatomy and get their leg lengths just right. This level of precision has never been available until now,” said Dr. Haidukewych.
Patient care is the first priority at Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute. With this new technology, patients can undergo hip replacement surgery in the morning and be home before lunchtime.
