Robotic Assisted Surgery

The robot does not do anything by itself and it does not make any decisions, rather it is a tool that surgeons can use to help them plan the joint replacement and deliver that plan with total accuracy.

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To achieve this, the Mako system uses a preoperative CT scan of the bones involved to enable the surgeon to preoperatively plan in 3 dimensions, how to position the joint replacement implants to best recreate and restore the patients knee or hip and its individual biomechanics. The robot then ensures that the surgeon cuts the bones to deliver that plan precisely.

Robotic assisted joint replacement surgery offers the following benefits:

• Greater accuracy
• Less postoperative pain
• Reduced risk of reoperation after partial knee replacement
• Reduced risk of dislocation and leg length difference at hip replacement surgery

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The effect of robotic surgery on outcomes and long terms joint replacement survival remain under investigation. To help you decide whether robotic assisted surgery is for you, the British Orthopaedic Association has written guidance for patients.