Robotic Technology Changes Lives

Knee pain can rob people of their mobility. NYGH orthopaedic surgeons—assisted by a robot named ROSA—help people with knee pain and disability get their lives back.

Knee pain—frequently caused by osteoarthritis—can make it difficult for people to walk, stand and perform the tasks of daily living. For many of these people, knee replacement surgery frees them from pain and allows them to resume their normal activities. In 2023-2024, hundreds of patients received knee replacement surgery at North York General Hospital (NYGH).

Our goal is to provide a patient a better outcome with improved range of motion, strength, less pain and ultimately a faster recovery.

— NYGH orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Shawn Garbedian

Leading-edge robotic technology

Four of NYGH’s orthopaedic surgeons are trained to perform knee replacement surgeries with help from a robotic surgical assistant (ROSA). The ROSA Knee technology provides what NYGH orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Shawn Garbedian describes as a GPS for the knee, including data on the joint’s bony anatomy and soft tissue structures. This allows the surgeon to customize the angle and improve the accuracy of bone resections to restore a patient’s natural knee, while performing their knee replacement surgery. Patients receiving ROSA-assisted surgery typically have better outcomes, with improved range of motion and strength, less pain and a faster recovery.

NYGH, which purchased ROSA in 2021, was one of the first hospitals in Ontario to integrate the robotic technology into its surgery program. NYGH Director of Surgery Mary Chen says ROSA assists the surgeons in 30 to 40 knee replacement procedures a month, adding that NYGH’s highly trained surgeons using leading-edge robotics technology provide the best surgical outcomes for patients. The hospital performed more than 2,000 joint-related surgeries in 2023-2024, including 1,302 total knee and hip replacements.

Connecting with patients

Patients receiving hip and knee replacement surgery at NYGH are assisted before and after surgery by patient navigator Danielle Goldberg. She reviews pre-operative and post-operative instructions with patients and act as a bridge between them and the surgical team. Mary says the patient navigator ensures consistency in the information provided to patients and makes sure patients know what to expect at every step of their journey.

Patients having hip and knee replacement surgery at NYGH also have access to SeamlessMD, a digital platform that guides patients from pre-surgical preparation to post-surgical recovery via personalized education, progress-tracking and symptom monitoring, using their own smartphone, tablet or computer.  SeamlessMD gives patients and their caregivers a direct line of communication with the patient navigator. If a patient has a question or concern, their condition is assessed by the health-care team, which determines what follow-up may be required. Mary says SeamlessMD helps reduce post-surgical visits to the emergency department and readmissions to hospital.

SeamlessMD enables us to connect with patients and their response to it has been very positive.

— NYGH Director of Surgery Mary Chen

This story was featured in the 2023 – 2024 Year in Review.