Robotic Joint Replacement
Northwest Healthcare offers robotic-assisted joint replacement surgery, a procedure in which a robotic arm is used as a tool to assist surgeons. The robotic arm technology helps the surgeon attain a new level of precision during surgery by using a 3-D model to pre-plan your surgery. This helps the surgeon to perform the procedure based on your anatomy.
For patients suffering from knee and hip pain due to arthritis and for whom non-surgical therapies have failed, partial knee or total knee or hip replacement robotic-assisted surgery may be able to restore your mobility and active lifestyle.
Robotic joint replacement in the news.
Robotic-Assisted Total Knee Replacement
Total knee replacement is a treatment option for adults living with mid to late-stage osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Robotic-assisted total knee replacement provides you with a personalized surgical plan based on your unique anatomy. First, a CT scan of the diseased knee joint is taken. This CT scan is uploaded into the system software, where a 3D model of your knee is created. This 3D model is used to pre-plan and assist your surgeon in performing your total knee replacement.
In the operating room, your surgeon follows your personalized surgical plan while preparing the bone for the knee implant.
The surgeon guides the robotic arm to remove diseased bone and cartilage within the pre-defined area and the robotic system helps the surgeon stay within the planned boundaries that were defined when the personalized pre-operative plan was created.
It’s important to understand that the surgery is performed by an orthopedic surgeon, who guides the robotic arm during the surgery to position the implant in the knee joint. The robotic arm does not perform surgery, make decisions on its own or move without the surgeon's guidance. The robotic system also allows your surgeon to make adjustments to your plan during surgery as needed.
Robotic-Assisted Total Hip Replacement
If you suffer from non-inflammatory or inflammatory degenerative joint disease of the hip, a total hip replacement may free you from your limited range of motion and much of your pain, and get you back to doing the things you love.
The total hip replacement procedure done with robotic-assisted technology allows your surgeon to create a 3D model to pre-plan your hip replacement. Your surgeon guides the robotic-arm during your procedure based on that plan. This helps your doctor focus on removing diseased bone while helping preserve healthy bone, and assists with positioning the total hip implant based on your anatomy.
Northwest Medical Center is the first hospital in Tucson that offers robot-assisted hip replacements using the anterior approach. For many patients, the robot-assisted anterior approach allows the surgeon more accuracy than the traditional "manual" approach.
Partial Knee Resurfacing
If you’re living with early to mid-stage osteoarthritis which has not progressed to all three components of the knee, partial knee resurfacing is an innovative, minimally invasive treatment option.
During the procedure, the diseased portion of the knee is “resurfaced,” saving as much of the original knee and surrounding tissue as possible. Prior to the surgery, the surgeon will use the robotic system to pre-operatively plan and map your knee to precisely identify the area(s) of diseased bone to be removed.
During surgery, three-dimensional visualization of the knee and robotic arm provides your surgeon with real-time visual, tactile and auditory feedback so only the diseased portion of the knee is resurfaced. This may result in a more “natural feeling” knee following surgery. Partial knee resurfacing may:
- Promote a rapid relief from pain and get you back to the activities you miss doing
- Provide a more natural feeling knee post-surgery
- Result in a more rapid recovery and shorter hospital stay than traditional knee replacement surgery
In many cases, patients are walking soon after surgery, driving a car in the first few weeks and return to normal daily activities shortly thereafter. In many cases, your time in the hospital after surgery is minimal.
Oro Valley Hospital was the first hospital in Southern Arizona to offer robotic partial knee resurfacing and Northwest Medical Center added robotic technology in 2018.
Am I a Candidate?
You may be a candidate for partial knee resurfacing using this technology if you experience:
- Knee pain with activity, usually on the inner knee and/or under the knee cap
- Knee pain or stiffness when activities are initiated from a sitting position
- Failure to respond to non-surgical treatments or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication
Attend a Free Informational Seminar
Want to learn more about treating hip or knee pain? Attend one of our free seminars.