September 27, 2023 — Six months after unveiling its newly constructed state-of-the-art surgical suite, Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers has enhanced its surgical capabilities even further by adding Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery for total hip, total knee, and partial knee replacement surgeries.
An innovative treatment solution intended to relieve painful arthritis of the knee or hip, the advanced surgical technique has been associated with less pain, less need for pain medications, reduced hospital length of stay, and improved knee flexion and soft tissue protection.
“When we gave community tours before opening our new surgical suite last February, we emphasized that our new operating rooms were built robot-ready,” said Tom Dohm, President & CEO of Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers. “The recent addition of two orthopedic surgeons who are trained in Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery expedited our plans for the equipment. We are grateful to the Morris Hospital Board of Directors for their support in bringing this highly advanced robotic technology to our community.”
One of the key components of Mako SmartRobotics™ is CT-based 3D modeling, which gives the surgeon more information about the patient’s anatomy. The surgeon uses the 3D CT-based model of the patient’s joint to create a personalized surgical plan based on the patient’s unique anatomy.
In the operating room, the surgeon guides Mako’s robotic arm to remove diseased bone and cartilage within the pre-defined surgical field. Mako’s AccuStop™ technology helps the surgeon stay within the planned boundaries defined when the personalized preoperative plan was created. For some patients, that can mean preserving more soft tissue. For others, it can mean saving more healthy bone.
“As a surgeon, I believe there are advantages to using Mako SmartRobotics™, both for the surgeon and the patient,” said Paul Perona, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Morris Hospital who has performed over 1,000 joint replacement procedures using the Mako System and has trained and certified physicians across the Midwest on the technique. “It’s very exciting to offer this transformative technology at Morris Hospital for total knee, total hip, and partial knee replacements.”
Dr. Perona said it’s important to understand that the surgeon, not the robot, still performs robotic arm-assisted surgery.
“Mako does not perform the surgery, make decisions on its own, or move without the surgeon guiding it,” explains Dr. Perona. “The surgeon guides Mako’s robotic arm during the surgery. The surgeon is the one who is able to make adjustments to the plan at any time as needed.”
Because each patient is unique and can experience joint pain for different reasons, it’s essential to talk to a physician about the reason for joint pain in order to understand the treatment options available. Typically, joint replacement surgery is only recommended after more conservative methods of treatment are no longer providing relief from pain.
According to Dohm, the addition of Mako SmartRobotics™ is just another step in the continued enhancement of Morris Hospital’s surgical services. Phase 2 of the surgical suite renovations is expected to be completed later this year and will result in new procedure rooms for gastrointestinal (GI), bronchoscopy, and other minor procedures, along with dedicated surgical consult rooms and a new surgical waiting room for support persons who are waiting for a loved one in surgery.
To learn more about robotic-arm-assisted surgery at Morris Hospital, go to morrishospital.org/robot.