NRW premiere: Sportklinik Hellersen is the first clinic to introduce VELYS™robots
Leading technology and human expertise combined in the robotics center
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Die Diagnose war eindeutig: Bernd Jäschke benötigte ein neues Kniegelenk. Mehr als 15.000 Knie- und Hüftprothesen wurden in der Sportklinik Hellersen bereits implantiert. Für den 72-jährigen Patienten also eine gute Adresse sich mit seinem Anliegen an die Spezialklinik zu wenden. Das Besondere für ihn: er ist der erste Patient, der sein neues Kniegelenk mit einem neuen roboterassistierten System in der Sportklinik Hellersen implantiert bekommt.
The diagnosis was clear: Bernd Jäschke needed a new knee joint. More than 15,000 knee and hip prostheses have already been implanted at the Sportklinik Hellersen. So, for the 72-year-old patient, this was a good place to turn to for help. What made him special was that he was the first patient to have his new knee joint implanted using a new robot-assisted system at the Sportklinik Hellersen.
The endoprosthetics specialist continues to have complete control over this highly complex procedure. However, they now have a state-of-the-art robot at their disposal, enabling them to work even more precisely and with even less damage to tissue. “Here, we are combining cutting-edge technology with our outstanding medical expertise. This is a significant step forward in knee endoprosthetics. For our patients, this also means an even faster recovery and a better quality of life. The robotics center is yet another example of how important it is, especially in medicine, to seize opportunities for progress and combine them with our strengths,” explains Dirk Burghaus, CEO of Sportklinik Hellersen.
The successful operation on the first patient marked the start of operations at the newly opened Robotics Center. Here, Sportklinik Hellersen uses the innovative VELYS™ Robotic Assisted Solution from DePuy Synthes (Johnson & Johnson MedTech), the global market leader and largest orthopedic company in the world.
The VELYS™ Robotic Assisted Solution enables particularly precise and individually tailored implantation of knee endoprostheses. It was developed specifically for orthopedic surgery and captures the patient's anatomy in real time. This enables precise positioning of the prosthesis without the need for CT or X-ray images.
Video: VELYS™️ Robotic Assisted Solution from Johnson & Johnson MedTech Orthopaedics (DePuy Synthes)
Our patients rely on human experience – and we enhance it with cutting-edge technology. Curious about robotic surgery? Watch the video now!
“Here, we combine state-of-the-art technology with our outstanding medical expertise. This is a significant step forward in knee replacement surgery.”
Dirk Burghaus
Chairman of the Board of Sportklinik Hellersen
15,000th joint prosthesis implanted
In 2024, Sportklinik Hellersen set a new record: the 15,000th joint prosthesis was implanted. Since the special department for artificial joints was established in 2004, the number of procedures has grown from 500 to 850 per year. Whereas hip and knee prostheses had previously been implanted in all three existing departments of what was then the Sportklinik Hellersen, this task now fell exclusively to the department headed by Dr. Joachim Hagenah, the long-standing chief physician of Endoprothetik Hellersen. “At the time, we thought that after 20 years we would have reached 5,000 to 10,000 endoprostheses,” reports the chief physician. But developments exceeded expectations. In the early years, the focus was mainly on hip operations; now, the number of hip and knee prostheses is almost equal. In addition, the range of services was expanded to include revision surgery, which now accounts for an average of 150 to 200 operations per year.
In the future, Sportklinik Hellersen will further highlight its unique selling point in the field of endoprosthetics. The new robotics center will play a decisive role in this. “We will continue to expand our position as a pioneer in quality and technology while strengthening Lüdenscheid as a medical center in the interests of all patients,” explains Dirk Burghaus. Robotics represents a significant advance, particularly in knee surgery, marking an important step into the future and decisively optimizing the quality of patient care.
How the VELYS Robotic Assisted Solution works:
The VELYS Robotic Assisted Solution uses a variety of advanced technologies to ensure that the surgeon has the information and tools they need for precise results. This valuable insight, flexible execution, and verified performance make the surgeon's work even more precise and efficient without the need for preoperative imaging.
More precise, gentler on tissue, faster
“With the surgeon's experience combined with the precise application of robot-assisted technology, a further development of the well-known knee navigation system, a new level in knee endoprosthesis implantation has been reached at the Sportklinik Hellersen.
We are now able to work even more precisely than before. This allows us to adjust and position the knee replacement more accurately, taking into account the individual anatomy and ligament tension of each patient. This contributes to optimized functionality—movement and knee stability,” explains Bernd Irlenbusch, Leading Senior Physician for Endoprosthetics at the Sportklinik Hellersen. The robot enables extremely precise incisions, which are checked in real time. The flexion and extension gap of the joint is also checked after each step.
“With the surgeon's experience combined with the precise application of robot-assisted technology, a further development of the well-known knee navigation system, a new level in knee endoprosthesis implantation has been reached at the Sportklinik Hellersen.”
Bernd Irlenbusch
Leading Senior Physican for Endoprosthetics at the Sportklinik Hellersen
Bernd Jäschke, the first patient to benefit from modern robot technology at the Sportklinik Hellersen, is just as satisfied with the new innovation as the surgeons at the Sportklinik Hellersen. “For me, the human being is the guiding hand behind the operation, and I continue to place myself in the hands of the surgeon. That's important to me. If new technologies now have a positive effect on the procedure and also speed up healing, so much the better. I trust Mr. Irlenbusch as my attending physician, and if he trusts the robot, I trust the robot too,” explains Bernd Jäschke.
Sibylle Sieberg, who also had a new knee joint implanted with robotic assistance on the same day, feels the same way. “I felt very good after the operation. This is not least due to the excellent care I received at the Sportklinik Hellersen. I would also recommend the robot-assisted procedure to anyone at any time,” says Sibylle Sieberg.
With the new robotics center and the use of the VELYS™ Robotic Assisted Solution, the Sportklinik Hellersen combines leading technology with human expertise.
Photo (right): VELYS™️ Robotic Assisted Solution from Johnson & Johnson MedTech Orthopaedics (DePuy Synthes)
Photo: VELYS™️ Robotic Assisted Solution from Johnson & Johnson MedTech Orthopaedics (DePuy Synthes)
Quality agreement underscores expertise
In order to further strengthen the outstanding expertise of the Sportklinik Hellersen, AOK NordWest has concluded a groundbreaking quality agreement with the specialist clinic for the new robotics center. This contract underscores the clinic's high medical standards and promotes the targeted use of state-of-the-art, robot-assisted technologies. The quality agreement once again highlights the position of Sportklinik Hellersen as a pioneer in endoprosthetics and the high standards it sets in highly qualified patient care.
Photo: VELYS™️ Robotic Assisted Solution from Johnson & Johnson MedTech Orthopaedics (DePuy Synthes)
