From pre-surgery planning stages through to assisting in theatre, Nuffield Health's state-of-the-art Mako robotic arm technology is changing the lives of hip and knee patients for the better. By Ann Wallace
THREE years ago, Ian Swan could not climb stairs because of excruciating pain in his knee.
“I have had problems with my knee since my 30s, when I had to have a ligament restructure,” he explains. “It was caused by wear and tear - I used to do karate, and I
was a runner, and I have always been fit and active.
“However, it had got to the point that I was struggling to go up stairs and I couldn’t walk for longer than 20 minutes because of the pain. I decided to go for surgery and went on the NHS waiting list – and then Covid hit, and everything was cancelled.”
Ian, 62, from Hamilton, contacted Nuffield Health Glasgow, the first hospital in Scotland to offer a total knee replacement using robotic-arm assisted surgery.
“I could not wait any longer – I was starting to have back pain too, and it had become very annoying,” says Ian.
“William Leach, the Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Nuffield, came very highly recommended, so we met and discussed the options and for me, the robotic arm surgery sounded like the best way to go.
“The technology is incredible – and the results were life-changing.”
Mr William Leach, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
The state-of-the-art Mako robotic arm starts its work long before the patient arrives for his or her operation, from pre-surgery planning stage through to assisting in the surgery itself in order to improve the accuracy and precision of the procedure.
Before surgery, a personalised 3D model is created based on the patient’s own CT scan, allowing the surgeon to plan the operation within a fraction of a millimetre.
During the operation, the robot arm guides the surgeon, following the customised pre-surgery plan, allowing for clinical precision and reducing the risk of surgical errors in bone preparation and placement of the implants. Mako will not allow the tool to operate until it is in exactly the right position and it will not allow the tool to be moved from the correct position while in operation.
Nuffield Health Glasgow has completed more than 500 Mako procedures since the pioneering technology was introduced in August 2019 for total hip, partial knee and total knee replacements.
Mr Leach said: “I have been a consultant orthopaedic surgeon for more than 20 years and I see Mako as a revolutionary technology. “I always have control of the robotic arm and it gives pinpoint accuracy and alignment during surgery.
“Each patient’s surgical plan is personalised with preoperative imaging. The real and proven clinical benefits include reduced postoperative pain and blood loss, and a quicker recovery.”
Julie Campbell Hospital Director at Nuffield Health Glasgow Hospital, said: “Mako allows us to offer state of the art hip and knee surgery to our patients. In hip or knee replacements, outcomes can be influenced by small differences in measurements and this technology is truly ground-breaking for surgeons and patients alike.”
Hospital Director Julie Campbell
Patients at Nuffield Health Glasgow Hospital are also feeling the benefits with shorter stays and quicker recovery time, meaning less need for painkillers or prolonged physiotherapy.
In a clinical study, Mako patients surveyed six months after total knee replacement surgery reported lower pain scores than those who received a conventional joint replacement.
Patients have said following surgery it ‘feels like a natural joint’. Ian Swan agrees.
“It has now been a year since my surgery and the new knee does not feel any different to the other one, you would not be able to tell,” he says. “I can do full stretches, squats to the floor and I can run up the stairs now, which is amazing.
“All of the associated back pain has disappeared now too. I recently walked 10km a day up the Strip on holiday in Las Vegas, which was something I could not have attempted this time a year ago.”
Ian says recovery time following his surgery was quick. “It is painful at first, because you have to have regular physiotherapy to make sure the knee is bending and moving as it should,” he says.
“After the first three weeks, however, I did notice a reduction in pain and within around 10 weeks I was able to walk normally.
“I would recommend William Leach and the team very highly and encourage anyone who was suffering like I was to have the operation – it will change your life.”
For more information on robotic surgery, visit nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/glasgow/robotic-orthopaedic-surgery-in-glasgow
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