Hip and knee replacements are life transforming procedures, with over 200, 000 recorded annually in the UK National Joint registry (NJR). Very high satisfaction rates are widely recorded following hip replacements; knee replacements are rather less successful, with authors reporting a degree of disappointment (for a wide variety of reasons) in over 10% of cases.

There is a continual strive to keep learning and developing the techniques and tools that ensure the optimal patient outcome. Accurate component positioning can be surprisingly difficult to achieve with conventional techniques, especially with knee replacements; we think that improving this will have a positive effect on the result.

The relatively recent development of robotic-assisted hip and knee replacement aims to improve the accuracy of the surgery; MAKO robotic assisted hip and knee replacement are offered by London hip and knee replacement surgeon Mr Simon Bridle.

Robotic-assisted joint replacement surgery is a pioneering method which allows the surgeon greater ability to tailor the operation to the patient’s individual needs, by accurately planning and executing the surgery.

It is not taking skills away from surgeons, more it is assisting them to achieve greater surgical accuracy, which is directly related to the outcome.

Advantages of MAKO Total Knee Replacement

Clinical studies undertaken recently have commended the MAKO Total Knee Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery. The following benefits are seen when operations performed manually have been directly compared with those performed using MAKO assistance: • Improved accuracy of component position

• Less pain/discomfort following the operation
• Less need for opiate analgesics (strong pain relief such as morphine)
• Less reliance upon physiotherapy during the recovery period
• Shorter stay in hospital
• Less instances of patients being readmitted to hospital
• Improved mobility in the knee joint
• Less soft tissue damage

Advantages of MAKO Total Hip Replacement

The literature confirms that there are a number of benefits compared to conventional techniques.

• More accurate positioning of the acetabular component
• More accurate restoration of the correct leg length
• Better function

Getting the leg length correct and restoring the normal relationship between the thigh and the pelvis is likely to make the muscles function better and we are seeing more patients with a ‘forgotten hip’ after robotic assisted surgery. This is a hip which the patient essentially feels is as good as their own hip.

We also think it is likely that improving the accuracy of the surgery will achieve:

• A lower risk of instability, by improving alignment
• Lower wear rate and improved longevity of the joint

To find out more about the benefits of robotic-assisted knee or hip replacement surgery, call 020 8947 9524 to arrange a consultation with Mr Simon Bridle.