Robots are becoming more and more present in our lives. We can see them being developed continuously to make life easier, to do certain tasks more accurately, and to support the things we do so we can have more time to prioritize other parts of our lives. In the medical field, one of the latest innovations is the Mako robot. This provides assistance to an orthopedic surgeon who is performing knee or hip replacement surgery.
What Does Mako Provide?
1. Mako provides doctors with a 3D plan tailored for every patient through the use of a CT scan. The scan serves as a guide for reconstructing the patient’s knee or hip area. It makes sure that the 3D plan is customized based on the patient’s anatomy and ligament balance. A person’s anatomy can vary greatly in size and structure. Even the disease can cause variations. The Mako robot can map all of these and take these into consideration to have a more accurate plan.
2. The doctor uses the Mako robot by guiding its robotic arm during surgery. This way, the doctor can stay within the designated boundaries and it provides improved accuracy during surgery.
3. It makes surgery easier.
Even if the Mako robot is helpful during surgery, it is important to realize that it does not replace what the surgeon does. It is a trustworthy assistant but it is not the doctor. It serves as an accurate guide for improved surgery and enhanced recovery later.
Moreover, it takes a high level of expertise to use the Mako robot during a knee or hip replacement surgery. Doctors are required to undergo rigorous training to master the use of this robot. They need to have in-depth experience with it to effectively operate it. Whether partial or full knee replacement, the same requirements are needed to operate the robot.
The success rate from these cases is high with a low incidence of complications.
Next Steps
Click here to learn more to see if robotic surgery for hip or knee replacement might be the right option for you. Then schedule a consultation with one of the OSI physicians using the Mako Robotic Arm Assisted Surgery platform.
Please call 920.560.1000 or request an appointment online. OSI is Northeast Wisconsin’s first provider of Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery for Hips & Knees.
OSI has convenient locations to serve you. The campus in Appleton includes clinics, a surgery center, MRI, physical therapy, and a skilled nursing facility, as well as a walk-in clinic that provides care for new orthopedic injuries.
OSI has outreach clinics in De Pere (inside the NOVO Health Clinic), New London, Ripon, Shawano, Waupaca, and the newest location in Oshkosh (inside the NOVO Health Clinic).