Wellton Hospital Establishes 'Digital Navigation' Hip Surgery System
Wellton Hospital introduces the VELYS Digital Navigation system — a probe-free, real-time anatomical analysis technology — and officially opens its Digital Surgery Center, advancing precision hip arthroplasty to a new standard.
2009 – 2024
(Wellton data)
dislocation rate
achievable
Wellton Hospital announced on December 23, 2025 that it has established a probe-free stereotactic navigation (Digital Navigation) system for hip surgery. The hospital simultaneously launched its official Digital Surgery Center and expanded the application of this new medical technology across the entire hip surgery workflow.
What Is VELYS Digital Navigation?
The newly introduced VELYS Digital Navigation system is a cutting-edge medical technology that analyses a patient's anatomical structure in real time — without inserting any separate probe into the body — thereby increasing surgical precision during hip arthroplasty. The system guides the surgeon along the optimal surgical pathway by performing three-dimensional pre-operative analysis of each patient's individual anatomy.
No pins or external markers inserted into the patient. The system reads anatomy non-invasively in real time, reducing procedural steps and patient discomfort.
Precisely measures leg length, leg offset (width), and skeletal angles in three dimensions before surgery — providing a personalised surgical roadmap for each patient.
A single intraoperative simulation is all it takes to identify the optimal implant position — dramatically reducing trial-and-error steps during surgery.
The system captures errors as fine as 1 mm, allowing surgeons to achieve implant placement accuracy far beyond the capabilities of conventional techniques.
How the System Works: Step by Step
- Step 1 — Pre-op 3D Planning: The system analyses the patient's leg length discrepancy, femoral offset, and cup angle in three dimensions before the patient enters the operating room.
- Step 2 — Real-Time Intraoperative Guidance: During surgery, the navigation system provides live anatomical tracking without the need for bone-mounted trackers or probes, guiding the surgeon at every step.
- Step 3 — OneTrial Simulation: A single trial reduction identifies the ideal implant size and positioning — reducing operative time and the number of implant trials.
- Step 4 — 1mm Error Detection: Fine-grained feedback catches even the most minute positional deviations, ensuring the final implant placement meets the pre-planned target.
- Step 5 — Digital Surgery Center Integration: All data is integrated within Wellton Hospital's newly opened Digital Surgery Center for continuous quality monitoring and outcomes tracking.
Proven Outcomes: Dislocation Rate vs Global Benchmarks
An analysis of 7,208 hip surgeries performed at Wellton Hospital between 2009 and 2024 recorded a post-operative dislocation rate of just 0.21% — a figure far below the internationally reported average of 1–3%. This data-backed track record forms the clinical foundation upon which the new digital navigation system builds.
Director Song's Vision: Digital Surgery as a Completion
"The full-scale operation of this new medical technology — the Digital Navigation system — is not simply the introduction of a new piece of equipment. It is the completion of digital surgery aimed at elevating the precision and safety of every procedure. Through the combination of proven surgical expertise and the most advanced technology available, we will provide patients with a superior medical experience." — Song Sang-ho, Director, Wellton Hospital
Digital Surgery Center Now Open
Alongside the VELYS system rollout, Wellton Hospital formally opened its Digital Surgery Center — a dedicated facility that integrates digital navigation, data analytics, and outcome monitoring into a unified surgical environment. The centre reflects the hospital's broader strategy of combining its deep clinical expertise in hip and knee arthroplasty with next-generation digital infrastructure.
Wellton Hospital continues to operate international medical professional training programmes and participates in global academic activities, positioning itself as a knowledge hub for orthopaedic surgery in the Asia-Pacific region. The hospital is located at the Wellton Mediplex building, directly in front of Magok Naru Station Exit 1, Gangseo-gu, Seoul.
웰튼병원이 '무탐침 정위기법(디지털 네비게이션)' 시스템을 구축했다고 23일 밝혔다. 이번에 도입되는 '벨리스(VELYS) 디지털 네비게이션'은 고관절 수술 시 별도의 탐침을 꽂지 않고도 환자의 해부학적 구조를 실시간으로 분석해 정확도를 높이는 신의료 기술이다. 웰튼병원은 '디지털 서저리센터(Digital Surgery Center)'를 공식 오픈함과 동시에, 이 신의료기술을 고관절 수술 전 과정에 확대 적용했다.
디지털 네비게이션 시스템은 수술 전 환자의 다리 길이, 다리 너비(오프셋), 골격 각도 등을 3차원으로 정밀 분석해 집도의에게 적합한 수술 경로를 안내한다. 특히 '원트라이얼(OneTrial)' 기술을 통해 수술 중 한 번의 시뮬레이션만으로도 적합한 임플란트 위치를 찾아내며, 1mm 단위의 미세한 오차까지 잡아내는 정밀함을 구현했다.
지난 2009년부터 2024년까지 시행한 7208건의 수술 데이터를 분석한 결과, 탈구율 0.21%라는 성과를 기록했다. 이는 일반적으로 보고되는 탈구율(1~3%) 대비 현저히 낮은 수치이다.
웰튼병원 송상호 병원장은 "이번 신의료기술 디지털 네비게이션 시스템의 본격 가동은 단순한 장비 도입이 아닌, 수술의 정확도와 안전성을 끌어올리기 위한 디지털 서저리의 완성"이라며 "검증된 수술 노하우와 최첨단 기술의 결합을 통해 환자들에게 더 나은 의료 경험을 제공하겠다"고 강조했다.
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