Dr. Alexander Harbin Breaks New Ground in Joint Replacement
On May 31, 2022, Dr. Alexander Harbin performed upstate New York’s first smart knee replacement. Dr. Harbin performed the groundbreaking, same-day procedure for patient Nick Sudano at the Center for Advanced Ambulatory Surgery at 4 Medical Park Drive in Malta. Patients seeking specialized care for their joint pain are encouraged to call (518) 489-2666 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Harbin in Albany at The Bone & Joint Center at 1367 Washington Ave., Suite 200. Dr. Harbin is also available at the practice’s offices in Catskill, Malta and Schenectady.
Dr. Harbin became the first surgeon in upstate New York to successfully implant a smart knee and the first surgeon in the state to do so using the surgical robot system ROSA. Dr. Harbin used the Persona IQ Knee Implant, or the world’s first smart knee, and the ROSA surgical robot by Zimmer Biomet, the medical device company that his patient, Sudano, actually represents. To date, fewer than 100 smart knee procedures have been performed in the entire nation.
The smart knee technology is revolutionary for the field of joint replacement, offering insights and outcome data unlike ever before for surgeons and patients alike. In the Persona IQ knee implant, the bottom portion of the implant contains sensors that capture information like the patient’s range of motion, stride length, walking speed and step count. All of this secured data is then automatically provided to the surgeon. Additionally, the surgeon, care team and patient can view biometric data and stay connected for follow-up needs through a mobile application called mymobility.
“The implant technologies have advanced so much in the last five years, and my bone-on-bone pain has been persistent for many years, so the time was now [for surgery],” said Sudano. “I also love mymobility, which keeps me connected to the care team and allows me to track my all my physical activity before and after surgery — allowing Dr. Harbin’s care team to view my progress remotely and intervene as needed during my recovery.”
“Like robotic assistance, smart knee technology achieves another great leap in the technological advancement of knee replacement for patients everywhere,” said Dr. Harbin. “At The Bone & Joint Center, we are committed to innovation to offer our patients the very best, and I look forward to seeing what using this technology can help accomplish for everyone.”
As a fellowship-trained adult reconstruction surgeon, Dr. Harbin specializes in the latest joint replacement procedures of the hip and knee as well as orthopaedic trauma care. He earned his medical degree at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City before completing his general surgery internship at the University of Kansas School of Medicine–Wichita. He finished his orthopaedic residency at Albany Medical Center and later completed his fellowship in adult reconstruction at NorthShore University HealthSystem in Chicago.
To learn more or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Harbin at The Bone & Joint Center, call (518) 489-2666.