LOUISVILLE, Ky. – UofL Health – Jewish Hospital, home to Louisville’s first robotic arm-assisted technology Mako™ for hip and knee replacement, and the entire orthopedic team with the Total Joint Replacement Program celebrated the 3,000th robotic-assisted joint replacement procedure. The major milestone signifies mobility restored to the thousands of patients who were seeking treatment due to painful hip and knee arthritis.
For decades, the surgical procedure for hip and knee replacements required the surgeon to use manual instruments with cutting guides and a saw to shape the patient’s native bone for the desired implant to fit. For knee replacement, the surgeon would use their best judgment on what angle to place the implants and how much tension was placed on the ligaments around the knee.
With the introduction of robotic technology in the field of orthopedic surgery, the surgeon can now plan a knee replacement on a computer screen based on the patient’s CAT scan and determine exactly where the implants need to be placed within one degree and determine the tension in the soft tissue tension within one millimeter. Once the surgical plan is selected, the robotic-assisted arm helps the surgeon perform the surgery and execute the plan with precision to achieve the desired goal. Robotic-assisted surgery is used for total knee replacements, partial knee replacements and hip replacements. With hip replacements, the surgeon can place the implants to match the patient’s anatomy and visualize the difference in the patient’s leg length in real-time on a computer screen and make adjustments to match the leg length as close as possible.
“Our main goal is to give every patient the best clinical outcome so they can continue to enjoy their life without pain in their hip or knee joint, and the Mako SmartRobotic™ system helps us achieve our goals to customize each procedure exactly for that individual patient since every patient is different,” said Arthur Malkani, M.D., with UofL Physicians – Orthopedics. “We are still doing the hip and knee replacements but using robotic-assisted technology to do a better job for our patients since it allows us to plan the surgery on a computer screen and execute the ideal placement and size of the hip and knee implants to achieve the best results. This technology also provides real-time intraoperative information during the actual procedure so that we can make any necessary changes or adjustments to achieve the target surgical goal. Based on the patient’s CAT scan of their hip and knee, this advanced technology forms a virtual boundary around the patient’s bone so the surgeon cannot inadvertently damage the soft tissues beyond the bony outline, which minimizes the risk of human error. We have found patients tend to get back to their activities somewhat faster and have less pain, but, most importantly, our patient satisfaction has improved following robotic-assisted surgery.”
Jewish Hospital is the only facility in the region to perform these cutting-edge procedures.
“This milestone is yet another example of the pioneering and passionate commitment to patients at Jewish Hospital,” said John Walsh, CEO of Jewish Hospital and UofL Health – Heart Hospital. “Because of the dedication from our surgeons and their knowledge and skill of Mako robotic technology, more patients can continue about their day more comfortably, and have a better quality of life.”
By guiding your doctor during surgery, Mako’s AccuStop™ technology allows surgeons to cut less by cutting precisely what’s planned to help protect your healthy bone. The Mako robotic-arm assisted surgery can provide relief for those with severe joint pain in a hip or knee, degenerative joint disease or are dealing with osteoarthritis of the knee. If a surgeon determines someone is a good candidate for the Mako procedure, a CT scan will be performed before the surgery and be used to create a 3D model of the joint, allowing for a surgical plan unique to every individual patient.
To learn more about the surgery or make an appointment, click here.
Additional media coverage:
