Dr. Vincent Vena and Team Celebrate 200th Robotic-Assisted Surgery
March 28, 2023
Board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Vincent Vena, performed his 200th Mako robotic-assisted surgery at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.
The robotic system uses CT scans to generate an exact model of the patient’s knee or hip. That information is then fed back through the robotic arm, allowing the surgeon to determine how much bone to remove, ensure accurate alignment, and achieve optimum soft tissue balancing.
“People often think that the robot is doing the surgery, but that is not the case,” explained Dr. Vena. “The power of this robot is in the plan and the 3D virtual modeling, which optimizes the precision of the bone cuts, placement, and positioning, all of which give the patient a more natural-feeling joint, less pain, and a quicker recovery time.”
The Mako Total Hip and Knee Replacement is a treatment option for adults who suffer from degenerative joint disease. In cadaveric studies, Mako total hip replacement acetabular cup placement has been shown to be four times more accurate and reproducible than manual total hip replacement procedures.1
“The robot takes an otherwise very good operation and makes it even better,” said Vena. “We have seen great patient outcomes with the Mako system and have helped many people get back to doing what they love to do with much less pain. And that’s the goal!”
Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center is the only hospital in the region to have earned Advanced Total Hip and Knee Replacement Certification from the Joint Commission, a national accrediting association. CMMC has also earned the Blue Distinction designation for Hip and Knee Surgery.
“Achieving this milestone is quite an accomplishment,” said Dr. Vena. “I couldn’t be more proud of our highly skilled orthopedic team, including our newest team member, Dr. Richard Goodrich, Jr., who is using this advanced technology to improve people’s lives, and Dr. Ian Katz, who has been performing total knee and hip replacement surgeries for more than 30 years.”
Dr. Vena is a native of Cambria County. He earned his MD degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1983. He then completed his general surgical internship and orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY. From Penn State University, he earned an undergraduate degree in pre-medicine with honors in 1986 and an MS degree in Physiology with honors in 1989.
Pictured above:
Front row: Tracy Dodson, RN, Angel Pongrac, CSFA.
Back row: Richard Goodrich, Jr., DO, MS, Louis Koharchik CSFA, Vincent Vena, MD, MS, Seth Zaman, and Alex Stahl PA-C.