News :: Connect, Learn, Interact :: St. David's HealthCare > Centers for Joint Replacement at St. David's Medical Center, St. David's North Austin Medical Center First in Central Texas To Utilize Robotic Arm Technology for Knee Surgery

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Centers for Joint Replacement at St. David's Medical Center, St. David's North Austin Medical Center First in Central Texas To Utilize Robotic Arm Technology for Knee Surgery

Monday, September 13, 2010

RIO® Robotic Arm System Provides Greater Precision,

Enables Smaller Incisions and a Shorter Recovery Period

AUSTIN, Texas—On September 13, 2010, the Centers for Joint Replacement at St. David’s Medical Center and St. David’s North Austin Medical Center became the first hospitals in Central Texas to use robotic arm technology for partial knee replacement procedures. The RIO® (or robotic arm system) allows doctors to perform MAKOplasty® minimally invasive partial knee resurfacing procedures.

MAKOplasty® is used to treat early- to mid-stage osteoarthritis of the knee. Because it is less invasive than traditional total knee replacement surgery, patients may experience a shorter hospital stay, smaller incisions, less blood loss and a significantly shorter recovery period. Many patients are able to move around within four hours of the procedure, and can often return to an active lifestyle within weeks.

“Over the years, we have seen robotic technology make significant improvements to treatments for a range of illnesses and injuries, but never before has there been a robotic option in Central Texas for knee surgery,” Matt Heinrich, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and medical director of the joint replacement program at St. David’s Medical Center, said. “The RIO system allows us to treat patients with knee osteoarthritis at earlier stages and with greater precision. It is less invasive than non-robotic options and preserves more of the patient’s natural knee.”

This system provides the surgeon with a pre-surgical plan that details the technique for bone preparation and customized implant positioning using a CT scan of the patient’s knee. During the procedure, the system creates a three-dimensional, live-action, virtual view of the patient’s bone surface and correlates the image to the pre-programmed surgical plan. As the surgeon uses the robotic arm, its tactile, acoustic and visual feedback limits the bone preparation to the diseased areas and provides for more optimal implant positioning and placement for each individual patient.

“Precision is key in planning and performing partial knee replacement surgeries,” Tyler Goldberg, M.D., orthopedic surgeon at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center, said. “For an optimal outcome, the surgeon must align and position the implants just right. Precision in surgery, and in the pre-operative planning process, can determine a patient’s results.”

MAKOplasty®, powered by the RIO® Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic system, offers a more precise and consistent result for partial knee resurfacing. It can be performed on either the inner, top or outer compartments of the knee. It can also be performed as a bicompartmental procedure on both the inner and top portions of the knee.

“Minimally invasive knee surgery has long been available, but the RIO improves accuracy to a level that can only be achieved through robotic technology,” Dr. Heinrich said.

The opportunity for early intervention is important as osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and a leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Currently, the following physicians are trained to perform MAKOplasty: Tyler Goldberg, M.D., Matt Heinrich, M.D., David Dodgin, M.D. and Jake Manuel, M.D. Additional physicians are also being trained.

St. David’s Medical Center

St. David’s Medical Center, located at 919 East 32nd Street off of IH35, is owned by St. David’s HealthCare, one of the largest health systems in Texas. Founded in 1924, St. David’s Medical Center includes a 347-bed, acute care hospital, and a dedicated 64-bed Rehabilitation Hospital providing comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care. St. David’s Medical Center is home to the renowned NeuroTexas Institute, (including the TIA Center for Stroke Prevention and designation as a Primary Stroke Center); the acclaimed Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute; high-level women’s services with Level I, II and III nurseries; a Bariatric Center of Excellence; the Breast Center; orthopedic services; and a 24-hour emergency department. In 2010, St. David’s Medical Center was named to the list of 100 Top Hospitals by Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of healthcare. For more information, please visit StDavidsMedicalCenter.com.

St. David’s North Austin Medical Center

St. David's North Austin Medical Center, located at 12221 North Mopac Expressway, is owned by St. David’s HealthCare, one of the largest health systems in Texas. The 332-bed multi-specialty, acute care facility is dedicated to the highest level of women’s health services, including maternity and newborn care with Level I, II and III nurseries at the adjacent St. David’s Women’s Center of Texas, as well as a 24-hour emergency department, heart and vascular center, neurology and neurosurgery, a kidney transplant program, inpatient and outpatient surgery, and acute inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, among many others. For more information, please visit StDavidsNorth.com.