First Total Knee Replacement in Region Using MAKO Robotic-Assisted Surgery System

Dr. John Noble Performs First Total Knee Replacement in Region Using MAKO Robotic-Assisted Surgery System

Orthopaedic Surgeon John Noble Jr. MD, performed the first total knee replacement in Southwest Louisiana this week using the MAKO Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery System at CHRISTUS St. Patrick Health System. The hospital is the exclusive provider of MAKO robotic technology in the region, and orthopaedic surgeons from Center for Orthopaedics have been using this advanced surgical system to perform total hip replacements and partial knee replacements for over a year. The FDA recently extended approval for the total knee replacement procedure as well, and St. Patrick is among the first hospitals in the country to offer this expanded capability to their patients.

Robotic-arm assisted total knee surgery is an innovative alternative to the conventional surgical procedure in patients suffering from degenerative knee diseases such as osteoarthritis. It is performed using robotic-arm technology that allows the surgeon to precisely execute the procedure based on an individualized CT scan of each patient’s own unique anatomy.

"Accuracy is key in planning and performing joint replacement procedures,” said Dr. Noble "Much like a fingerprint, each individual joint is unique, so replacing the joint components should be just as individualized. This system allows us to do this much more precisely. A key factor in this precision is a pre-operative high resolution CT scan,” he explains. "This interfaces with the computer program in the MAKO system to provide us with millions of data points which we use during our pre-operative planning, allowing us to customize each patient’s procedure before the first cut is every made. And during surgery, the system provides visualization of the joint and biomechanical data to guide the bone preparation and implant positioning, while preserving more soft tissue. We are able to align and position the implants at a level of accuracy and reproducibility previously unattainable with conventional instrumentation.”

More than 600,000 people in the United States have a total knee replacement each year, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. With an aging population staying in the workforce longer and obesity on the rise, that number is expected to exceed 3 million by the year 2030. Dr. Noble says advancements in medical technology like the MAKO system allow those new joints to move more naturally and last longer.

"It’s important to note that with the system at St. Patrick, your surgeon, not a robot, is still performing your surgery, right at the operating table,” Dr. Noble adds. "The MAKO system ensures the greatest possible accuracy with a personalized, detailed surgical plan and robotic guidance.”

Along with Dr. Noble, orthopaedics surgeons Dr. Steven Hale and Dr. Jonathan Foret with Center for Orthopaedics are also using the MAKO system for hip, partial knee and now total knee replacement procedures at CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital.

"We’ve been very pleased with the results our patients have experienced with the MAKO system, and more importantly, our patients have been extremely satisfied,” says Dr. Noble.

Robotic-assisted surgery may not be an option for every patient. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call CHRISTUS St. Patrick Health System and Center for Orthopaedics at 800-831-1796.