Is knee pain keeping you from enjoying the activities you love most?

 

For patients who suffer from mid- to late-stage osteoarthritis of the knee, total knee replacement may be the best option to get you back to living a full life. However, many patients feel anxious about choosing a major surgery – Is the surgery safe? Will I face complications along the way? Will the procedure work?

 

At Southern New Hampshire Medical Center (a member of SolutionHealth), Andrew Garber, MD, is helping to put patients’ minds at ease. Dr. Garber recently began offering Mako robotic-arm assisted total knee replacement.

 

This state-of-the-art technology uses 3D imaging to plan your procedure ahead of time and assist the surgeon as they perform the total knee replacement. First, a CT scan of the knee is performed. That scan is then uploaded into the Mako software program, which then creates a 3D model of each individual patient’s knee. In the operating room, the surgeon follows a personalized surgical plan to prepare the bone for a Triathlon Total Knee implant, which is designed to replicate the body’s natural arc of motion.

 

“The Mako system provides me real-time feedback during the procedure, allowing for more precise implant positioning and finely tuned adjustments,” says Dr. Garber. “The robotic arm is linked with the Mako software intra-operatively to ensure that we hit our preoperative goals. The Mako system also has haptic feedback which controls the limits of resection and prevents us from going beyond our pre-set boundaries, adding another level of safety for the patient.”

 

It’s that precision that makes the Mako robotic-arm assisted total knee replacement so successful. “Being able to plan each surgery ahead of time, but also have the ability to accurately obtain and use real-time data intra-operatively helps ensure that each patient gets a well-balanced knee, and the best outcome possible,” explains Dr. Garber. “Our goal is to get you back on your feet and back to the activities you love as soon as possible.”