St George Private Hospital has spent over $1 million on a new piece of equipment, which the hospital hopes will help patients in need of knee surgery.
The Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Technology, made by medical technology company Stryker, is used for minimally-invasive knee surgery. The hospital said the equipment will be used on adults living with early to mid-stage osteoarthritis.
Orthopaedic surgeon George Kirsh used the technology for the first time at the hospital last month.
“This new technology allows surgeons to confidently place a prosthesis in exactly the correct position each time, unlike manual techniques,” Dr Kirsh said.
“By planning pre-operatively, scanning the knee during the operation, and then adjusting the plan to suit, we can properly balance a patient’s knee.
“The robot also stops surgeons from cutting outside where they should, adding extra safety as well as accuracy to joint replacement procedures.”
Dr George Kirsh said the accuracy of the technology also meant they did not need to do full knee replacements in some cases.
“Some patients, who would normally be given a total knee replacement, can have a lesser procedure with better results.”
