Dr. Malcolm Stubbs, Orthopedic Surgeon, on ROSA robotic hip surgery

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Dr. Malcolm Stubbs, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss the latest technique to restore mobility to patients with degenerative hip issues.

In particular, we discuss the ROSA (Robotic Surgical Assistant) robotic hip surgery procedure that Lafayette Surgical Specialty Hospital has recently added.

Dr. Stubbs graduated from LSU and LSU School of Medicine where he served as Chief Resident in orthopedic surgery. After completing a fellowship at the Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center, he served as a staff orthopedic surgeon in the U. S. Air Force. Today, he practices at the Lafayette Bone and Joint Clinic and performs arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee, shoulder reconstruction and replacement, and hip and knee replacement surgery at the physician-owned Lafayette Surgical Specialty Hospital.

When Dr. Stubbs graduated from medical school in 1993, arthroscopic surgery on the knee was rather commonplace; he says that “The move to minimally invasive surgeries was kicked off by the early pioneers of arthroscopic surgery of the knee. Thereafter, arthroscopic procedures advanced to repair the shoulder, and today, surgical practices have evolved to include this minimally invasive surgery on the hip, elbow, and almost every part of the body.

By the late 1990s and early 2000s, surgeons and engineers worked together to develop robotic surgery, which has only become commonplace in the last decade. A robotic device is an additional tool to enhance the procedure for hip and knee replacement as the robot and robotic arms help guide the surgeon in making accurate and precise cuts to the bone while performing replacement surgery. The surgeon is still performing the surgery, but with the help of the robot, the procedure is conducted with more precision, flexibility, and control than is possible with conventional techniques.

Robotic procedures have been shown to be highly effective in avoiding misalignment and getting a tight fit based on the individual’s anatomy. While the procedure is still relatively new, the expected outcome is that robotic procedures will improve the longevity of prostheses and lead to better outcomes for patients. Already, studies are showing a reduction in patient pain and reduced length of hospital stays.

Most people are leery about having hip replacement surgery and before it occurs, all other alternatives such as weight loss, physical therapy, medicine, and exercises such as yoga have typically been tried to no avail. In the past, the most common approach used to perform total hip replacement was a posterior hip replacement, where the surgeon would make the incision at the back of the hip close to the buttocks.

With the newer direct anterior approach (front of the hip) developed in the past few years, patients’ abductor muscles that operate around the hip joint are better protected from the damage caused by cutting, and patients are able to get up and walk quicker with less pain when these muscles aren’t violated.

Dr. Malcolm Stubbs in front of the ROSA (robotic surgical assistant) (robotic

With ROSA (robotic surgical assisted) hip procedure surgery using a direct anterior approach, Dr. Malcolm Stubbs says it “makes a better approach even better! Patients say, ‘Doc, I wish I had had this surgery sooner.” Hip replacement surgeries are occurring in more and more younger patients in their 50s and some in their 40s, and Dr. Stubbs isn’t sure if this is a result of an increase in arthritic conditions or the improved prostheses which make for better surgical outcomes. Whatever the case may be, this ROSA hip minimally-invasive surgical procedure has been shown to reduce patient pain and length of hospital stays.

Dr. Stubbs’ clinic, the Lafayette Bone and Joint Clinic, is affiliated with Lafayette Surgical Specialty Hospital, a physician-owned hospital. Dr. Stubbs is one of 34 physician owners. He emphasized that other physicians who want to utilize this specialty hospital don’t have to be an owner to have privileges to operate there and patients can request this facility for their surgical procedures. Typical procedures at the hospital involve the spine, orthopedics, and ENT issues.

Lafayette Surgical Specialty Hospital is owned by 34 local physicians and has a 98% or higher patient satisfaction rating. It was founded by the late Dr. John Cobb and his colleagues as a way to better direct patient care from start to finish with its own team of medical professionals. Dr. Malcolm Stubbs is one of the physician owners and he says, “The team effort really focuses on patient care. We want our patients to feel like they are at home when they are in our hospital. It takes away anxiety and stress that could compromise their outcome. If we can alleviate that stress, patient outcomes are better.”

We thank Dr. Malcolm Stubbs for taking time to visit with us and share this newest minimally-invasive surgical technique to bring back mobility in those with compromised hip conditions. ROSA is also available for knee replacements and Dr. Stubbs hopes that one day soon it will also be available for shoulder surgery.

For more information, visit https://lafayettesurgical.com.