By Health News Hub Staff

What has one arm, 3D high-definition visualization, a reputation as a good listener and is obsessively precise in everything it does?

It’s the surgical robot known as Mako, which could become a new mechanical friend for anyone needing a partial knee replacement or total hip replacement. Surgeons use Mako’s robotic arm to increase accuracy, minimize incision size and speed recovery time.

“This technology gives me an extra tool to ensure accuracy,” said Dr. Scott Stanat, medical director of the Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery program at Backus Hospital, the only hospital in southeastern Connecticut with the technology. “In a partial knee procedure, for example, I’m able to manually stretch and balance the knee during surgery and use the computer navigation to my advantage — assuring proper alignment and balance.”

During Mako total hip replacement surgery, the system provides visualization of the joint and biomechanical data to guide the bone preparation and implant positioning that matches a pre-surgery plan. After first preparing the femur or thighbone, the surgeon uses the robotic arm to accurately ream and shape the acetabulum socket in the hip, then implant the cup at the correct depth and orientation. Next, the surgeon implants the femoral implant.

Mako partial knee resurfacing is an option for adults living with early to mid-stage osteoarthritis that has not yet progressed to all three compartments of the knee.

It is less invasive than traditional total knee surgery. Guided by a plan based on a CT scan of the patient’s own knee, the surgeon uses the robotic arm to resurface the diseased portion of the knee, sparing healthy bone and surrounding tissue for a more natural-feeling knee. An implant is then secured in the joint to allow the knee to move smoothly again.

Here are a few differences between Mako and traditional knee surgery:

  • Average Hospital Stay: 1-3 days (traditional: 3-7 days).
  • Average Incision Length: 4-6 inches (traditional: 8-10 inches).
  • Possible swelling: Several weeks (traditional: 3-6 months).
  • Return to driving a car: Within 2 weeks (traditional: 6-8 weeks).

“This technology allows us to implant the joints more accurately,” says Dr. William Cambridge of New London County Orthopedic Surgery. “That’s the big advantage. If we implant the components more accurately during a hip replacement, for example, patients have less of a chance of a dislocation or one leg being shorter or longer than the other.”