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Parkside Hospital celebrates 100th operation using Mako robot

There were celebrations at Parkside this week to mark the 100th operation using the ground-breaking Stryker Mako robotic arm.

Our team has been utilising the Stryker Mako robotic arm to help carry out joint replacement surgery. The Mako robot allows the team to undertake hip and knee surgeries using a state-of-the-art method, which allows patients to get back to an active lifestyle quicker than more traditional surgery.

The pioneering technology was first used at Parkside Hospital in April 2019, with a century of surgeries now carried out.

The Mako robot works by using CT scans to generate an exact model of the patient’s knee or hip. That information is then fed back through the Mako robot allowing the surgeon to determine how much bone to remove in order to improve the accuracy and precision of the procedure.

If at any time the robotic cutting tool passes over an area of the joint that does not need removing – it simply shuts off automatically, not starting again until it reaches parts mapped out for removal. This method reduces the risk of surgical errors and improves patient safety.

Mr Giles Heilpern conducted the 100th operation using the Mako robot – and also performed the first robotic operation at Parkside in 2019.

Mr Giles Heilpern, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, said:

“It is an absolute pleasure to have performed the 100th Mako robot-assisted procedure at Parkside, having performed the very first last year. The Mako robot is fantastic. Results to date have exceeded expectation – patients report less pain and better early function after surgery and go on to achieve excellent long-term outcomes. I am proud to be involved with this innovative technology and genuinely see it as a game changer in knee replacement surgery.”

Phil Bates, Hospital Director at Parkside, said:

“We’re delighted at Parkside to reach a landmark 100 operations using the pioneering Mako technology. We know the Mako robot is proven and trusted technology, and are so pleased to see how many patients have benefitted from the precision that this state-of-the-art system provides. In many ways the Mako robot is the jewel in our crown, helping us to raise the bar in terms of the services we can offer.”

While the Mako robot is established technology in the USA, it is still relatively new in the UK with only a handful of hospitals across the country utilising the pioneering technology.

The Mako robot is just one aspect of the high-quality orthopaedic care offered at Parkside. The hospital is nationally-renowned for its expertise in orthopaedics and sport exercise medicine, providing the entire patient pathway under one roof.

Date: 26/11/2020