“Stable and mobile at the same time”

Dr. Christian Gatzka about TRUMPF’s extension unit with MIS-Hip-Device

Since spring 2010, Dr. Christian Gatzka and his team at the Orthopedic and Trauma Center in the Park-Krankenhaus hospital in Leipzig, Germany, have been trialing TRUMPF’s latest extension unit with MIS-hip-device.

Dr. Gatzka, what made you decide in favor of TRUMPF’s new extension unit with MIS-hip-device?

Basically, we were no longer satisfied with the range of equipment that was on offer for hip traction. We first came across TRUMPF’s solution at MEDICA 2009, and decided to feature it at our 2nd Leipzig Joint Symposium in March 2010, which focused primarily on hip surgery. Since then, we’ve been the first test and development customer to work with the MIS-hip-device. Of course, we’d already been using TRUMPF operating tables and lights for many years, with consistently positive results.

So what’s your initial assessment?

Compared to other systems we’ve tested, its most striking advantage is that it’s both stable and mobile at the same time. It can safely withstand high forces – for example, when we’re carrying out a hip arthroscopy and need to pull the femoral head out of the socket in order to gain access to the joint – yet it also offers the possibility of carefully-controlled transition from a state of tension to a “relaxed” hip position with concurrent rotation of the hip joint, and all without having to remove the patient’s foot from its restraint. Consequently, the patient is held in place securely at all times.

What advantages does that bring for the OR staff?

It means that a patient’s position can be changed readily without any risk whenever necessary. It’s easy for OR staff  to carry out desired movements using the system’s grips and handles, without introducing unwanted shaking. This external mode of operation is much simpler for the OR nursing team; it’s more controlled, and above all it requires significantly less physical exertion than other systems. Naturally, this ease of use is a tremendous plus for the OR staff and it also increases patient safety.

So does that mean it also helps reducing OR times?

Absolutely! Since we’ve been using the hip set, our OR times have gone down by around 20 to 30 percent. Another important point is the system’s compatibility with the TRUMPF operating tables which ensures quick and easy installation at any time.

For what kind of surgical procedures do you use the new system?

We use the new equipment when we’re carrying out hip arthroscopies, for example to make offset corrections in cases of femoroacetabular cam impingement, or to correct excessive coverage of the socket in cases of pincer impingement. We also use it for labrum and cartilage surgery, where the main focus is, of course, to preserve the joint. But we’re also impressed with the versatility of the system, which has likewise proved its worth in other types of hip surgery such as minimally invasive surgery and the treatment of fractures.

What role do intraoperative diagnostics play?

A really important one – particularly when it comes to arthroscopies. The MIS-hip-device incorporates carbon-fiber struts, which allow low-artifact 360-degree fluoroscopy of the entire pelvis. This, combined with the unit’s mobility, enables us to take optimal pictures of hip extensions and flexions. And compared to conventional fracture extension tables, the new system is significantly easier to handle.

Finally, how does the new unit benefit patients?

The stability of the MIS-hip-device ensures patients are held securely in place during operations. Good upholstery around the buttock area and in the foot restraint – a new type of traction boot – helps to prevent pressure damage. And of course, arthroscopic or minimally invasive surgery is less traumatic for patients than open operations. Reduced pain and shorter recovery periods are important considerations. With the emergence of new information regarding the prevention of arthrosis, it’s not without good reason that arthroscopy is making great strides in hip surgery. And the MIS-hip-device is the perfect tool to support this development – not least because it represents good value for money.