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Robotic Surgical Assistant helps 'motivated' UMMC patient, Bills fan get back in the game

By Mike Pettinella

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The Buffalo Bills, based on two playoff victories last season and a franchise quarterback in Josh Allen, are on the short list of teams favored to make it to Super Bowl LVI. Expectations are high as the franchise has clawed its way back to being one of the National Football League’s elite teams.

One of their longtime fans, Robert “Bob” Neeley of Warsaw – motivated to a large degree by his passion for the team – is fighting his way back from two total knee replacement surgeries that utilized Robotic Surgical Assistant technology at United Memorial Medical Center.

Neeley, a 30-year employee of the Wyoming County village’s Department of Public Works, already has exceeded the expectations of his surgeon and physical therapists as he has received clearance to attend the Bills’ season opener this Sunday.

The Bills kick off their schedule with a 1 p.m. contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park.

“That’s been my big goal – to go to the Bills’ game this coming Sunday,” Neeley, a season ticket-holder since 2001, said during a Zoom call this afternoon with his surgeon, Dr. Nicholas Loffredo, chief of Orthopaedics at United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia.

“I’m glad that I got both knees done and that I can actually do it. It’s going to be exciting with all the fans and that I’m going to be there. It’s going to be great because my cousins have been looking forward to me going, too.”

Neeley, a 1982 Warsaw Central graduate, has been a Bills’ fan since the mid-1980’s – “I cheered for them at Ralph Wilson Stadium (as it was called then) and cried during the Super Bowls,” he said.

He said that prior to COVID-19 that he and his three cousins went to all the games since purchasing season tickets 20 years ago.  That tradition seemed to be in jeopardy this year due to the condition of Neeley’s knees.

“I had a tremendous amount of pain in both knees … and have been off work since November 2020,” Neeley said. “I got out of the dump truck and it twisted and swelled up. There was no way that I could keep working.”

He said that the pandemic and other factors resulted in surgery being cancelled three times. The plan was to have the left knee done after the first of the year (2020) but when Neeley’s wife, Susan, was stricken with cancer, it was postponed.

Susan, Neeley’s wife of almost 32 years, passed away in April 2020, leaving a heartbroken husband and daughter.

Neeley had the left knee replaced by Dr. Matthew Landfried in early March and had the right knee replaced on Aug. 2 – just five weeks ago – by Dr. Loffredo.

Since then, Neeley has been working extra hard to reach his goals of attending the game and returning to work.

“I feel that my wife is pushing me to do it; to keep going,” he said, fighting back the tears.

“I’ve been doing everything they say and the therapist has been making me work, and I’m doing what I am supposed to at home on my exercises,” he said. “(I) go to therapy twice a week and everything is going really good.”

Dr. Loffredo called Neeley an “ideal patient,” adding, “You give him an objective, and he’s going to get there.”

“You couldn’t ask for a better patient to work on because he’s very motivated … That’s what it is after a knee replacement … it’s doing the exercises and then you get an excellent result.”

The doctor explained that the use of robotics leads to consistent outcomes in terms of balancing the knee.

“The added benefits of the robot is that you get some numbers, whereas before it was more of a feel or an art to what we call soft tissue balancing,” he said. “So, during surgery … (with a) traditional knee replacement, it’s the surgeon feeling how is this knee balanced, side to side. You know it bends, like a hinge, but side to side how is the soft tissue balance?”

Dr. Loffredo said the robot provides data while the surgeon is “gapping” the knee.

“As opposed to with the robot, you literally get feedback while you’re gapping it – you’re two millimeters gapped on the inner, you’re one millimeter gapped on the outer side. So, we’ll make these cuts just so. We’ll release ligaments slightly to gap balance it. It gives you numbers whereas before it was more of a feel or an art. Now, you can quantify it and it makes it more reproducible.

“There’s good evidence that shows patients have a more reproducible result and there’s less revisions and basically better patient satisfaction and hopefully a fast recovery.”

Dr. Loffredo said he’s glad that UMMC is able to offer “that cutting edge service.”

“I believe that the robot is an additional tool to use in the OR (operating room) that in my hands helps to create a reproducible joint replacement, where we’re having a straight knee and a balanced knee each and every time,” he said.

Neeley said he couldn’t be happier in how things are turning out for him, and hopes the Bills can equal or better their performance of last season.

“I don’t know if they will beat out what they did last year; they did so well,” he said. “It’s going to be real tough … but they’ve got a good defense.”

And, the offense is led by a Pro Bowl signal caller.

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Photo at top: Warsaw resident Bob Neeley giving his all in physical therapy to bounce back from two knee replacement surgeries. Photo at bottom: Neeley and Dr. Nicholas Loffredo. Photos submitted by United Memorial Medical Center.

'Bionic Bees' from Bergen's Gillam Grant center won regional project award

By Billie Owens

The Bionic Bees -- a team of third- through sixth-graders from the Gillam Grant Community Center -- won the Project Award at the Finger Lakes FIRST Lego League regional qualifier robotics competition.

On Saturday, Nov. 17 the Bionic Bees competed at The Integrated arts and Technology high school in Rochester against other area teams. This year’s theme for the competition was "Into Orbit." Teams had to think of a solution to a physical or emotional problem that astronauts face when in space for long periods of time.

The team’s solution was to use virtual reality to give astronauts pieces of home through sights, sounds and smells.

They designed Bionic Binoculars, which can give you the pleasant smells of their home. The motion-detecting gloves or controllers would set off a smell when placed near the accompanying visual. Astronauts could wear a vest with the binoculars that could adjust temperature depending on the setting like a fireplace for example. Through the viewer they could see and hear the familiar sights and sounds of home.

The team modeled their idea from the Oculus brand of virtual reality products.

FIRST LEGO League gives students the chance to develop, design, build and code LEGO MINDSTORMS robots to perform autonomous “missions” on a themed playing field and design innovative solutions to a real world problem inspired by the theme.

Along their journey, students develop critical thinking and team-building skills, basic STEM applications, and even presentation skills, as they must present their solutions with a dash of creativity to judges.

They also practice the Program’s Core Values, which emphasize discovery, teamwork and good sportsmanship. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology.

Based in Manchester, NH, the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity designs accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math, while building self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills.

The Learning Center at Gillam Grant, a not-for-profit center located in Bergen. We provide tutoring, homework help and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) enrichment classes and clubs for K-12thgrade students.

LEGO and robotics aficionados invited to GCC maze race

By Daniel Crofts

The following is a press release from Chantal Zambito:

Calling all NXT/RCX Robotic Clubs, Groups, Teams, and Enthusiasts!

If you are between the ages of nine and 14, you are invited to Genesee Community College, in Batavia, to participate in a friendly maze race. Whether you are a novice or an experienced user of the NXT/RCX Robotic software, this is for you.

The event will take place on Thursday, March 15, in conjunction with Tech Wars. Registration will begin at 9 a.m., with the events lasting from 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.

The teams will create a catapult to a launch marshmallows from a designated point. The three teams with the furthest launch will receive a prize, and all teams will receive a certificate of participation. The best distance will be taken from each group’s three launches.

Come and look at the 2011 FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Challenge Missions, projects, and presentations from local teams. Information on how to get a Robotics Club started at your school or in your community will be available at the event.

If you are interested, the registration deadline is Feb. 18.

For a map of the launch pad, registration form, or more information about the NXT Challenge at GCC, contact Chantal Zambito at gcc.robotics2011@yahoo.com. For more information about Tech Wars go to http://www.techwarsgcc.org.

Robotics team grabs first place in competition

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

The Genesee County Aces Robotics Team participated at the Finger Lakes First Lego League Buffalo Qualifier competition on Saturday at the Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School and won first place for Robot Performance.

They will now advance to the Finger Lakes Regional competition at the University of Rochester on Dec. 3. The winner selected at that competition will go on to participate at the World Festival in Missouri, which is an international competition.

The theme of this year’s challenge was food safety. The robots are made entirely of LEGOS and are programmed to interact with devices made of LEGOS on a table. The teams also had to research a food-contamination problem, develop a solution, and present their work to a panel of judges.

Pictured from left are: Trevor Zauner, Quinton Tarbell, Colton Tarbell (team assistant), Jomni Tarbell, Lukas Johnson and Clayton Fox.

(Submitted photo)

Local Team Competes in Rochester Rumble Robotics Competition

By Jodi Coburn
Genesee County’s 4H robotics club, Aces, participated in the Rochester Rumble held at Penfield High School on Saturday, April 16th. Robots at the Rumble were designed and programmed to complete challenges on a four foot by eight foot table without remote control.  Aces won second place for robot performance.  They also won a Judges Choice Award for Outstanding Community Outreach in robotics. They sighted achievements such as their participation in maze-running robotics competition at  Genesee Community College’s Tech Wars which was held on March 17th and their commitment to sharing First Lego League with other schools and clubs.
 
Aces plans to conduct robotics demonstrations and workshops at the Genesee County Fair this July.   They will also come and do a demonstration for your group or school.  Anyone interested in the 4H robotics program can contact Paul Webster at Cornell Cooperative Extension 585-343-3040 ext.117 for more information.

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