Dr. Rick Goding of the Kauai Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Center, and officials at Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital at the West Kauai Medical Center in Waimea, have teamed up to offer the state’s first, computer-assisted, total-joint-surgery services, Goding said. They
Dr. Rick Goding of the Kauai Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Center, and officials at Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital at the West Kauai Medical Center in Waimea, have teamed up to offer the state’s first, computer-assisted, total-joint-surgery services, Goding said.
They have teamed up to bring the new medical technology to the island, offering, among other services, computer-assisted, knee-replacement surgery to patients suffering from debilitating knee arthritis, he explained.
“I’m really delighted to be able to bring the latest knee-replacement technology to Kaua’i, and to the state of Hawai’i as a whole,” Goding said.
“The use of the system is growing rapidly on the Mainland and abroad, and it’s just so great to be able to offer this to our residents,” said Goding, president of the Kauai Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Center (KOSM).
It’s estimated that close to 300,000 U.S. citizens will have knee-replacement surgery in the next year, he said.
With an active population on Kaua’i, the number of those needing knee-replacement surgery is sure to see an increase as the population grows in age, he said.
The latest in knee-replacement technology is now available on the island.
Computer-assisted surgery helps surgeons align the patient’s bones and joint implants with a degree of accuracy not possible with the naked eye, Goding explained.
Through the use of infrared data, the system maps the patient’s knee, and helps to provide a more precise and controlled alignment of the knee implant.
The system is also beneficial in providing detailed views of the knee, allowing Goding to use smaller incisions during surgery, he added.
Small-incision surgery, most often referred to as “minimally- invasive surgery,” offers the potential for faster recovery, less bleeding, and less pain for patients, said Goding.
“The accuracy attained from using this new technology will truly benefit all knee-replacement patients,” stated Goding. “I trained on this equipment during my fellowship in Perth, Australia, and have seen first-hand the advantage of using this system.”
Goding started KOSM in 2005, with the intent to bring state-of-the-art technology and surgical techniques to Kaua’i. In conjunction with KVMH officials, the island’s patients have seen installation of a new, state-of-the-art CT scanner, new digital-arthroscopy equipment, and, now, the computer-navigation system, all currently available to Kaua’i residents who find them-selves in need of these services.
“It’s really been my goal to provide the latest advancements in bone and joint technology to the island. And to be able to be the first in the entire state to offer this system to our residents is icing on the cake,” said Goding.
Because Goding is the only surgeon in Hawai’i, and one of the first in the United States, to have had formal fellowship training in this technique, KOSM and KVMH have been designated observation sites for the navigation system.
Surgeons from all over Hawai’i, the West Coast, and the Pacific Rim region will be able to view Goding using this new system.
“We’ve already had interest from surgeons in O’ahu and Maui who want to come and learn this technique” said Goding.
