Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery Enables a New Level of Accuracy for Joint Replacement Surgery
If you’ve ever been told you need joint replacement surgery, there’s a new option for you: Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery. Mako is a technique used by surgeons for partial knee resurfacing, total knee replacement and total hip replacement. Hartford Hospital was first in the state to offer patients this new, less invasive tool in orthopedic surgery.
What makes Mako surgery different? The difference is in the procedure’s high level of accuracy and precision. Mako surgery involves using a robotic-assisted arm, known as RIO. This surgeon-controlled robotic arm helps surgeons get a patient-specific image and more precisely place and align the implants used in joint replacement surgery.
How It Works
Before surgery
It all begins with a CT scan of your knee or hip joint, which is used to generate a 3D virtual model of your unique anatomy. This virtual model is loaded into the Mako System software and used by your surgeon to create a personalized pre-operative plan.
In the Operating Room
In the operating room, your surgeon will use the Mako System to assist in performing your surgery based on your personalized pre-operative plan. When the surgeon prepares the bone for the implant, the surgeon guides the robotic-arm within the pre-defined area and the Mako System helps the surgeon stay within the planned boundaries that were defined when the personalized pre-operative plan was created. The Mako System also allows your surgeon to make adjustments to your plan during surgery as needed. In a laboratory study, Mako demonstrated accurate placement of implants to a personalized surgical plan. It also showed that MAKO Total Knee replacement demonstrated soft tissue protection to the ligaments around the knee.
After Surgery
After surgery, your surgeon, nurses and physical therapists will set goals with you to get you back on the move. They will closely monitor your condition and progress. Your surgeon may review a post-operative x-ray of your new joint with you.
Mako for Partial Knee Resurfacing
Mako Partial Knee Resurfacing is an innovative treatment option for adults living with early to mid-stage osteoarthritis that has not progressed to all three compartments of the knee. During the procedure, the diseased portion of the knee is resurfaced, sparing the patient’s healthy bone and surrounding tissue. An implant is then secured in the joint to allow the knee to move smoothly again. During the procedure, your surgeon uses a Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System, known as RIO, which allows for greater precision and accuracy in placing the implant. Partial Knee Resurfacing can:
- Facilitate ideal implant positioning to result in a more natural feeling knee following surgery
- Result in a more rapid recovery and shorter hospital stay than traditional knee replacement surgery
- Be performed on an outpatient basis
- Promote a rapid relief from pain and return to daily activities
Mako for Total Hip Replacement
Mako Total Hip Replacement Surgery can help those suffering from degenerative hip joint disease. After first preparing the femur or thighbone, the surgeon uses the robotic arm to accurately shape the acetabulum socket in the hip, and then implant the cup at the correct depth and orientation. The surgeon then implants the femoral implant. Mako offers the confidence of more accurate cup placement and accurate leg length restoration. During the procedure, your surgeon uses a Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System, known as RIO, which allows for greater precision and accuracy in placing the implant surgery.
Mako Total Hip
Mako for Total Knee Replacement
The Mako Total Knee application is a knee replacement treatment option designed to relieve the pain caused by joint degeneration due to osteoarthritis. Through CT-based 3D modeling of bone anatomy, surgeons can use the Mako System to create a personalized surgical plan and identify the implant size, orientation and alignment based on each patient’s unique anatomy. The Mako System also enables surgeons to virtually modify the surgical plan intra-operatively and assists the surgeon in executing bone resections, transforming the way total knee replacements are performed.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is Mako covered by health insurance providers?
A: We understand that making sure your joint replacement is covered by health insurance is important to you. Check with your health insurance provider to verify your specific coverage.
Q: How long has the Mako procedure been available?
A: The first Mako procedure was a partial knee replacement performed in June of 2006. Since that time, over 83,000 Mako hip and knee replacement procedures have been performed around the world. Hartford Hospital performed its first Mako procedure in October 2014, and was the first in the state to perform the first total knee replacement using Mako in November 2016.
Q: Does the Mako robotic-arm actually perform surgery?
A: No, the robotic-arm doesn’t perform surgery, nor can it make decisions on its own or move without the surgeon guiding it.
Q: How long do knee implants last?
A: Individual results vary and not all patients will have the same postoperative recovery and activity level. The lifetime of a knee replacement is not infinite and varies with each individual.
Eligibility
Mako is an option for adults living with early to mid-state osteoarthritis in the knee and hip, or people who suffer from degenerative joint disease. Talk to one of our orthopedic surgeons to see if Mako is an option for you.