Colleton Medical Center has added the Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Technology to our robotic surgery. If you are a candidate for joint replacement surgery now or in the future, this is big news. Here's what your orthopedist wants you to know:
Robotic surgery has significant benefits
“Robotic surgery is changing the surgical experience of our patients,” says Lawrence Conley, DO, an orthopedic surgeon at Colleton Medical Center. “Systems like the Mako gives surgeons a better, more accurate 3D view inside your body, plus instruments that can bend and rotate far greater than the human hand for greater precision and control.” The result is that patients who have robotic surgery, instead of open surgery, experience:
- Smaller incisions
- Less blood loss during surgery
- Shorter hospital stays
- Lower pain
- Reduced recovery time
- Less scarring
The Mako system is made specifically for joint replacements
Colleton Medical Center chose the Mako system to help surgeons plan and perform joint replacement surgery. The system uses individual scans to plan the optimal surgical approach and helps surgeons make accurate placement of implants while protecting soft tissue around the joint. This is important because every patient, and their joint anatomy, is unique.
“Injury, disease, and everyday wear and tear can contribute to joint problems. So can inflammation caused by injury, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and infection,” says Conley.
“Though therapies like exercise and medication can help some symptoms, often the root issue cannot be corrected without surgical intervention. Joint replacement technologies make the surgery more accessible, and more appealing to patients who have lost the mobility needed for everyday activities.”
Your surgeon is always in control of your surgery
The Mako Robotic Arm doesn't actually perform the surgery or make any movement on its own. Your surgery is under the control of your surgeon who uses the Mako robotic arm to remove diseased bone and cartilage and insert the replacement joint implant. The robotic arm is simply an advanced tool.
How the technology works
Before surgery, you'll have a CT scan of your joint that is used to generate a 3D virtual model of your anatomy. This virtual model is loaded into the Mako System software to be used by your surgeon to create a pre-operative plan.
In the operating room, your surgeon will use the Mako system during your surgery based on the 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. Of course, the Mako System also allows your surgeon to make adjustments during surgery as needed.
You may be a good candidate for robotic surgery
Robotic technology has revolutionized orthopedic surgery, enabling surgical sites to be tightly confined and nerves to be spared. It offers excellent accuracy and precision with less scarring, less pain, and faster recovery.
For those suffering from joint disease resulting from degenerative and rheumatoid arthritis, avascular necrosis, an injury or fracture, or functional deformity of a joint, joint replacement surgery may be an option. Knowing the impact of the Mako system on the surgery itself offers peace of mind to patients.
Colleton Medical Center's surgical capabilities has been enhanced by robotic surgical systems, including the Mako.