Mississippi Sports Medicine

Oct. 22, 2020

Source: by Elizabeth Crisler, Special to the Sun, Northside Sun

Mississippi Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center’s physicians were among the earliest users of ROSA nationwide in any setting. In 2019, Mississippi Sports Medicine’s Dr. Trevor Pickering was the first orthopaedic surgeon in the United States to use ROSA in an outpatient surgery center. Now a year later, the surgeons at Mississippi Sports Medicine have performed more ROSA-assisted surgeries than any surgeons in Mississippi, 71 total knee replacements in one year. Mississippi Sports Medicine’s surgeons are so well versed in ROSA, they have become a national training center for other surgeons across the country.

“Our goal is to perform surgeries for our patients as efficiently and precisely as possible so they are back to daily life without pain”, says Dr. Pickering, “ROSA gives us the edge to perform surgery with precision like never before, it’s less invasive, and provides the tools our surgeons need to perform surgery at the highest possible level. ROSA lets the surgeon plan the end result of the surgery before the surgery even begins.”

A 3D model of the patient’s knee is created prior to surgery using ordinary x-rays from their clinic visit and the surgeon is able to plan the necessary steps for a precise knee replacement before surgery. “Ultimately, the ROSA robot offers a more efficient and accurate surgery, making it safer and more comfortable for patients. The recovery is faster, and the knee replacement will offer longer-term improvement in function. This is done with no additional cost to patients,” states Dr. Pickering.

ROSA is a robotic arm that is connected to a very complex computer. Personalized patient information goes into the computer prior to surgery and then ROSA assists to the patient specifications during the procedure. ROSA Knee® System supports surgeons in performing Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) and can assist with the bone resections, as well as assessing the state of the soft tissues to facilitate implant positioning during surgery. Also, the data collected before, during, and after the surgery is collected through each patient’s mymobility application and continues to help surgeons and care teams make informed decisions and optimize care for patients throughout recovery and beyond.

In the operating room, ROSA provides data and assists with complex decision-making while enabling surgeons to use computer and software technology to control and move surgical instruments, allowing for greater precision and flexibility during procedures. “It’s like having another assistant that I have programmed specifically for the surgery I’m involved in at the moment with all the patient-specific data to create the perfect surgery result,” said Dr. Pickering.

This is all great news for patients. ROSA-assisted surgery not only offers a more accurate surgery for patients, it also reduces recovery time, and is no additional cost to patients.

The outpatient surgery is performed in The Surgery Center at Mississippi Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center. Since 2015, MSMOC surgeons have performed over 3,000 outpatient joint replacements. Since opening its doors in Flowood, in 2019, surgeons have performed 716 total knee replacements and 533 unicompartmental knee replacements in that location alone.

“Our surgeons perform many surgeries and that’s what you want to hear as a patient. You want to know that your surgeon has done your specific surgery many, many times and is very sure what the outcome will be,” states Dr. Pickering, “adding ROSA to the operating room gives us another set of eyes focused on our specific commands and our patient’s specific anatomy and this is just another positive for our patients.”

The Surgery Center was recently awarded its advanced orthopaedic certification in total joint replacements and complex spine procedures and is the first ambulatory surgery center in Mississippi to receive such distinction for exceptional orthopaedic care.

“Being the first ASC to achieve the advanced certificate in outpatient joint arthroplasty and spine surgery in the southeast not only shows our team’s hard work daily to provide the utmost quality of care to our patients, but it also exemplifies MSMOC’s desire to be on the forefront of cutting-edge treatments,” states Meredith Warf, Administrator, The Surgery Center at Mississippi Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center.

Mississippi Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center offers patients 18 sub-specialized physicians that treat 6 specific areas of the body (Foot/Ankle, Hand/Wrist, Hip/Knee, Hip & Knee Replacement, Shoulder/Elbow, and Spine), a stellar Surgery Center, Therapy Center, and Performance Centers, with locations in Jackson, Flowood, and Madison with satellite locations in Brookhaven, Ruleville, and Yazoo City. Mississippi Sports Medicine has been created to address any orthopaedic issues patients have in the most efficient, cost-effective way while utilizing the most cutting-edge techniques to create positive outcomes for getting patients back to their daily lives.