Cory Calendine, MD, Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee

Dr. Corey Calendine, orthopedic surgeon at the Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee, joins the Becker’s Healthcare Podcast to discuss the evolving landscape of hip and knee replacement surgery. He highlights the growing role of robotics and AI in personalizing surgical outcomes, emphasizing how data from robotic platforms can be transformed into actionable insights through artificial intelligence. Despite slower-than-expected adoption rates of robotic systems—16% for knees and 6.5% for hips in 2024—Calendine notes steady year-over-year growth and identifies barriers like high capital costs and challenges in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). He advocates for innovative financing models and competitive market dynamics to improve access. Calendine also discusses the transformative impact of GLP-1 medications, which may reduce revision rates and enable safer surgeries for obese patients, while potentially delaying surgery for others due to symptom relief. He underscores the importance of surgeon-led patient education through platforms like Facebook and Instagram to build trust and combat misinformation. Looking ahead, he identifies ASC expansion, declining reimbursements, and rising costs as major disruptors, urging the healthcare system to prioritize efficiency and collaboration to maintain access to care.