Creating a System of Connected Technologies to Transform the Future of Orthopaedic Surgery through VELYS™ Digital Surgery

hero

Today’s healthcare landscape is under pressure, including when it comes to joint replacement surgery. Not only is patient volume growing, surgeons are feeling fatigued and are under increased emotional and mental burdens. This all comes at a time when there is a need for cost reduction and delivery of better patient outcomes. Additionally, we know that up to 20% of patients who get total knee replacement are not fully satisfied.1 During this time of rapid change, DePuy Synthes is evolving to meet the next frontier of modern surgery that empowers doctors and health care teams to reimagine what’s possible before, during and after procedures.

We believe technology can play a key role in today’s environment by helping to identify the right patients for surgery, optimize their pre-operative care pathway, set the right expectations, create a personalized surgical plan and deliver it in an accurate and a consistent way, and remotely monitor patients post-operatively.

Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies has taken bold steps to bring disruptive innovations into our businesses including orthopaedics, which is at the forefront of this evolution. Acquisitions by DePuy Synthes over the last few years in innovations such as Orthotaxy, KINCISE™ Surgical Automated System and JOINTPOINT™ Hip Navigation System help position us to deliver more precise, more personalized, and more efficient medical interventions.

We will continue to evolve our portfolio of innovative devices and capabilities into a connected, fully integrated digital ecosystem across a wide array of surgical specialties. This new digital surgery platform for orthopaedics has recently been introduced as VELYS™ Digital Surgery.

VELYS Digital Surgery will be an evolving platform that will consist of connected technologies that leverage data insights for our patients, surgeons and health care systems across the entire care continuum for end-to-end connectivity.

Today, VELYS Digital Surgery will focus on joint reconstruction including existing technologies like the KINCISE System and the JOINTPOINT System. Over time, DePuy Synthes will add new technologies like our orthopaedic robotic solution, patient selection tools, advanced visualization, sensors and apps.

The platform is comprised of innovations in 4 different areas:

  • Patient Solutions and Optimization: Next year, we'll pilot technology to meaningfully engage and communicate with patients before and after surgery. It will let them confirm completion of activities, upload images of their incision and connect directly with their care team. In addition, we are exploring integration with EHR data to predict patient specific risks and optimize pre-operative care pathway.
  • Surgical Planning: With digital planning systems, we’re helping to deliver more predictable outcomes, improve accuracy and OR efficiency. Today, the JOINTPOINT System is designed for precise analysis of implant selection and positioning through non-invasive computer navigation, pre-surgical digital templating and case planning. In the future we are investing in cost effective technology that will create 3D models from simple 2D x-rays. We're also investing in capabilities to provide predictive analytics on the optimal placement and alignment of an implant to help deliver the best outcome.
  • Surgical Implementation: Our portfolio of surgical instruments uses cutting edge technology to provide effective care such as the KINCISE System, designed to improve precision and make hip and knee replacement surgery easier and less physically demanding for surgeons. In the future robotic solutions will aid in accuracy and efficiency during the surgical process.
  • Post-Op Monitoring: Through sensors and wearable technology, we are investigating ways to monitor patient performance and gather data about their recoveries that were not available previously. This technology will give us deeper insight into patients’ healing with the aim of improving overall care.

These tools have been designed to work together to create a full digital surgery ecosystem. For example, the KINCISE System is compatible with the JOINTPOINT System. This can mean easy, efficient and precise hip replacement surgery, benefiting surgeons and patients. With these technologies and many more to come, we are able to generate data, analyze it and create actionable insights that we believe will help transform procedures for better outcomes.

 

1Bourne RB, Chesworth B, Davis A, Mahomed N, Charron K, Comparing Patient Outcomes after THA and TKA: Is there a Difference? Clin Orthop Relat Res 2010; 468:542-6.

127373-191111 DSUS
© DePuy Synthes 2019. All rights reserved.