As one of the top hospitals in Quebec, the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) excels at pushing the boundaries of medicine and offering exceptional patient care. None of it would be possible without donations to the JGH Foundation, which are needed to supplement public funding. Donors give the Hospital the agility to approach modern challenges from new perspectives by supporting the Foundation’s ongoing Tomorrows Are Made Here $400M philanthropic campaign.

The Montrealer recently spoke with Dr. David Zukor, Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at the JGH, about how donors are supporting the Division.

Why donations are needed
More than 500 hip and knee replacements and many other orthopedic surgeries are performed at the Jewish General Hospital every year. For all the work to be done efficiently, it requires skilled staffing through specialized programs, state-of-the-art equipment, ongoing follow-up to meet patient needs, and modern facilities. “JGH Foundation donors are helping us do more for our patients,” said Dr. Zukor.

Renovations and education
Thanks to the JGH Foundation, the facilities of the Orthopedic Surgery Division are being entirely renovated, making it not just fresh and modern looking, but also more efficient. “Patients will be more comfortable and there will be a better flow,” said Dr. Zukor. Donations also support the division’s vital education initiatives, particularly in supporting clinical Fellows (already fully trained orthopedic surgeons) who come to learn additional skills to benefit patients. “Fellows are extremely important to allow us to fulfill our academic mission, our staffing needs and ultimately to serve patients,” noted Dr. Zukor.

Robot-guided knee replacements
One major contribution that donors have made to orthopedic surgery at the JGH is a robot to guide knee replacements. During surgery, the surgeon temporarily attaches trackers to the patient’s bones and by pointing to various landmarks and performing stability testing at various angles, the computer is able to build a virtual model of the knee joint and help ascertain exactly how and where to cut the bone. The surgeon then makes the final decision about how to align the patient’s knee and this information is given to the robot. For the required bone cuts, the robotic arm positions itself at the precise location, allowing the surgeon to pin it in position and perform the cut using a saw blade. A tool validates that the cut is precisely what was desired.

The result? More accurate surgeries, in an operation where accuracy is paramount. The robot allows surgeons to personalize each knee replacement based on that patient’s unique anatomy and deformity. This often makes it unnecessary to surgically adjust the knee ligaments, which helps patients recover better and even saves time and resources.

Robot assistance has resulted in increased patient satisfaction following knee replacement surgery in his practice, Dr. Zukor said. He noted that knee replacement still lags behind hip replacement in patient satisfaction because it is a much more complex joint to replicate. Hopefully, with a more personalized approach to knee surgery, patient results can be so positive that they can forget they had it.

Patient follow-up
Dr. Zukor is very proud of a program supported by JGH Foundation donations that provides “exemplary ongoing follow-up” to joint replacement patients. Following surgery, patients are contacted on a schedule to see how they are doing and if they need any assistance. Following the initial more frequent post-operative phase, patients are contacted every two years for life to ensure they are mobile and without pain. “We can provide a good quality of life for patients for a very long time,” Dr. Zukor noted.

To make a donation to the Jewish General Hospital Foundation, please go to jghfoundation.org