Albuquerque, N.M.-based Lovelace Medical Center and Westside Hospital have acquired a robot for hip and knee replacements, and surgeons are loving it, according to local news outlet KOB4.
Patrick Gilligan, MD, Chris Hanosh , MD, and Jay Wojcik, MD, are trained in the technology, which allows for personalized procedures to a patient's specific diagnosis and anatomy.
"We obtain a CT scan first, so that allows us to see the joint three-dimensionally," Dr. Wojcik told the news outlet. "When we're in surgery, we can also incorporate some data from the patient's anatomy called 'their balance.'"
The Mako robot is designed to deliver precise cuts and protect soft tissue and ligaments from damage.
"With the robot, we can set a haptic, a safe zone, so that the robot will not let us exit that zone and damage a ligament, a nerve or blood vessel," Dr. Hanosh said.