John Masterson, MD, is one of four orthopedic surgeons who will have access to new robotic-arm technology for hip and knee replacements at Brownwood (Texas) Regional Medical Center, according to the Brownwood Bulletin.
Three things Dr. Masterson said about the technology:
1. "There is some controversy about using it because there is some increased cost in using it. But there are also studies that suggest that the cost is going to be offset by the fact there are going to be fewer revisions and issues, because you're using the robot and you have such precision."
2. "When you do revisions, it's big dollars, and it's certainly a big chunk of time out of somebody's life to have to go back to the operating room. If you can minimize those situations, it's definitely worth its weight."
3. "Even in the time I've been in medicine, it's been amazing to me to see some of the things that have happened, that I wouldn't have even thought to be available to us now. It's just exciting to see what's going to come down the road."