Combining surgical excellence with a bold commitment to innovation is more than a vision at Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN, pronounced wren) — it’s a promise to the community. WRHN is committed to transforming patient care with an innovative mindset and through partnership with local medtech leaders. One such initiative is its collaboration with Kitchener-based medical equipment manufacturer Intellijoint Surgical, aimed at improving outcomes for patients undergoing hip replacements.
Following a successful research study, WRHN has officially procured the Intellijoint HIP navigation system for regular clinical use — bringing this local technology into the operating room to enhance precision, improve patient outcomes, and support surgical teams to deliver care close to home.
"Adopting this technology reflects our ongoing vision to lead with innovation in health care,” says Elizabeth Ferguson, WRHN Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “It’s about giving our teams the tools they need to expand capacity and improve care for the communities we serve.”
Intellijoint HIP supports all surgical approaches, including the direct anterior approach, which is a minimally invasive, muscle-sparing surgery that accesses the hip joint from the front of the body.1 It involves accessing the joint without detaching muscles or tendons, instead pulling them aside. This approach aims to reduce post-operative pain and allow for quicker recovery and return to activity with minimal scarring. Patients who had a direct anterior surgery were able to walk more in the first two days after the surgery, had significantly less pain the day after, and were discharged earlier from the hospital.2
“Out of my four operations, I had the fastest recovery experience for my hip surgery, and I was able to walk up and down 20 stairs after the first day,” says Terry Yandt, a patient for whom Intellijoint HIP navigation greatly improved their health outcomes. “The technology is easy and efficient, and I felt significantly less pain. Everyone deserves to leave the hospital feeling pain-free.”
Intellijoint HIP supports a surgeon’s ability to perform the direct anterior approach by providing real-time feedback during the surgery. Intellijoint HIP has been shown to help guide surgeons to reduce leg length discrepancies and hit significantly more precise cup-position targets during surgery than when they used intraoperative X-ray imaging for guidance during surgery.3
WRHN and Intellijoint Surgical first began working together in 2022 following a $1 million investment by the Government of Ontario in a research study to measure the success of their intraoperative navigation solution and better understand the benefit of navigation technology for patients across Ontario. The hip replacement study was a success with surgeons performing nearly 200 hip replacement surgeries using Intellijoint HIP navigation.
“Because of this success, we’re extremely excited to use this technology with more patients at WRHN,” says Dr. Matthew Snider, WRHN orthopedic surgeon. “We expect improved long-term benefits for patients with the Intellijoint navigation technology.”
To align efforts to increase the readiness of our local health care system to support research and innovation, WRHN continues to build partnerships with medical innovators at Intellijoint and the University of Waterloo as part of the CareNext Innovation Program. “Not only is this a great opportunity to celebrate a partnership with the newly merged WRHN, but also to celebrate the local adoption of a novel surgical technology that was invented, designed and developed right here in Kitchener-Waterloo,” says Armen Bakirtzian, Co-founder and CEO of Intellijoint Surgical.
“The partnership between WRHN and Intellijoint Surgical is a great example of our province’s Life Sciences Strategy in action,” said Minister Mike Harris, MPP for Kitchener-Conestoga. “Ontario is building a strong foundation for collaborations like this, making it possible for the people of Waterloo Region to have access to the right health care they need.”
As it continues to grow as a regional hub for health innovation, WRHN embraces technology and innovative solutions to deliver seamless patient experiences and better health outcomes. By partnering with Intellijoint Surgical and other medical innovators, WRHN chooses local solutions to provide high-quality care close to home.
For more information about Waterloo Regional Health Network, please visit WRHN.ca.