When conservative treatment no longer manages pain or restores function, referral for joint replacement can shape the course of recovery. Across North Carolina and South Carolina, Novant Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine uses robotic-assisted joint replacement as a standard of care, supported by outcomes across its program.
The case for robotic guidance
Robotic guidance enhances surgical planning and assessment while leaving the surgeon in control. “The surgeon is still in the driver’s seat. The robot is riding shotgun,” says Charles Craven Jr., MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Novant Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in the Triad.
Before surgery, the team uses a three-dimensional, CT-based scan combining X-rays and computer processing to customize the surgical approach for each joint. The technology allows physicians to assess deformity and joint stiffness in greater detail. Craven likens the added precision to the shift from paper maps to GPS: The destination hasn’t changed, but the precision getting there has.
The underlying surgical process remains the same, including the incision and bone cuts. Robotic assistance enhances how the surgeon assesses the joint and balances the soft tissue. As Craven puts it, the robot serves “as our assistant.”
That same precision is reshaping recovery expectations for patients in Charlotte, too. "Patients come to us assuming joint replacement means months on the sidelines," says Steven Martin, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Novant Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine at Ballantyne in Charlotte. "Robotic guidance is changing that conversation."
When to refer
Refer your patients once physical therapy, medication, and/or injections no longer manage pain or restore function. Robotic-assisted guidance now spans the full range of joint replacement, including
- Total and partial knee
- Total hip
- Hip and total knee revisions
Although we’ve found that total knee replacement remains the most common application.
Revision surgery deserves particular attention. These cases often involve bone loss and irregular tissue. "In those cases, we appreciate, and so do patients, having the most advanced technology," Craven says.
Timing matters too. Calvin "Max" McCabe, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Novant Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in the Triad, notes that patients who delay surgery consistently report the same thing afterward: they wish they'd done it sooner. "Patients tell us they feel like the surgery gave them their lives back," he says.
Expert access across the region
Novant Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine brings robotic-assisted joint replacement to patients, so your referral connects patients with subspecialized surgeons close to home.
Novant Health Clemmons Medical Center, for example, has the largest volume of Mako robotic-assisted joint replacements among hospitals in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. At Clemmons Medical Center, 99% of joint replacements use robotic guidance, with approximately 1,100 robotic knee replacements completed annually. The medical center is consistently ranked a top 100 center in the United States, with return-to-admission and infection rates well below national averages.
That same commitment to advanced, subspecialized care extends to Charlotte. "Our patients expect and deserve the same level of technology and outcomes no matter which Novant Health location they walk into," says David Homesley, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Novant Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in Charlotte.
Most joint replacements, robotic or otherwise, are now outpatient procedures with same-day or 23-hour observation discharge, meaning your patients recover at home rather than in a hospital bed.
The value for you and your patient
A referral to Novant Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine connects patients with subspecialized surgeons experienced in robotic-assisted joint replacement and facilities focused on orthopedic recovery. Surgical and rehabilitation care is managed within the orthopedic program, while referring physicians remain focused on the patient’s broader care.
Across the program, robotic-assisted joint replacement combines surgical volume, outcomes and access to subspecialized care close to home.
Refer patients to Novant Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine for robotic-assisted joint replacement care.
