FORT BELVOIR, Va.  –   Concentration, focus, and professionalism were on full display during a robotic-assisted joint replacement surgery at the Belvoir Hospital February 23, 2023. The hospital is the first medical treatment facility in the Defense Health Agency with this robotic-assisted platform (VELYS), and the cutting-edge technology provides the joint replacement surgeons an unparalleled amount of real-time surgical data. Leveraging this technology greatly increases and enables consistent, reproducible, and accurate surgical bone cuts and gives instantaneous feedback in real-time.

“We are thrilled to offer technological advancements like the Depuy VELYS Robotic-Assisted Solution joint replacement surgery at the Belvoir Hospital,” said Lt. Col. Robert McGill, Chief of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at the hospital.

Robotic-assisted joint replacement has grown from 4% of knee replacements in 2018 to roughly 12% in 2022 and is projected to be almost 30% in 2025. Robotic-assisted capabilities such as these within Military Treatment Facilities strive to better expose orthopedic residents to this technology and promises to provide a better groundwork for their own surgical practices and skill sets.

“Combining the VELYS with our existing ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) protocols work hand-in-hand to achieve a combined goal of expert, safe, and compassionate patient care”, said McGill. “Advances such as these expand our ability to deploy the most up-to-date technology in the care of our surgical arthroplasty patients and furthers our goal of becoming the premier location for musculoskeletal care in the National Capital Region Market.”

The Belvoir Hospital is a 120-bed, 1.3 million-square-foot military community hospital that serves a regional population of 250,000 personnel with about 100,000 enrollees receiving inpatient and specialty care services supported by 55 specialty clinics, a Warrior Pavilion (for combat injured/wounded/ ill), Inpatient Addictions Program, and three satellite family health centers at the Pentagon, Dumfries and Fairfax, Va.