West Sussex hospital unveils £1 million robotic-arm technology to assist orthopaedic surgery
It helps to not only reduce pain and potential infection, but speeds up recovery
A hospital in West Sussex has invested more than £1 million in a state-of-the-art robot to ease patients' suffering.
The Mako™ robotic-arm will assist with total knee, partial knee and total hip replacements and meet the increasing demand for orthopaedic surgery.
In addition, It will help to not only reduce pain and potential infection, but speed up recovery time for patients.
In a bid to tackle local NHS waiting times, Nuffield Health Chichester Hospital is in talks with the NHS about its proposed plans to fund robotic-arm assisted joint replacement surgery for qualifying patients in the locality referred by the NHS.
Six of the hospital’s orthopaedic surgeons have been trained to provide reconstructive surgery using this ground-breaking technique.
Ms Samantha Hook, one of the orthopaedic consultants now using the new Mako™ robotic technology to perform hip replacement procedures at the hospital, is excited to offer this option to her patients.
She says: “Robotic assisted joint replacement surgery is becoming common place in orthopaedic surgery, and it is fantastic to be able to now deliver these procedures at Nuffield Health Chichester.
“Robotic assisted surgery with the Mako for me is about optimising my ability to achieve the best possible result for the patient. With careful planning and execution, robotic assistance allows me to restore the patient’s anatomy and biomechanics to as near normal as possible.
"The surgeon is still very much in control of all the instruments, the robot just helps us use them more accurately, and so the Mako robot is a great addiction to our surgical facility.
"I am pleased to see that our amazing and enthusiastic theatre team have made the robot very welcome as part of their team.”
Using a combination of advanced technology and market-leading implants, this pioneering surgery allows consultant orthopaedic surgeons at Nuffield Health Chichester Hospital to manipulate the robotic arm to make far more precise bones cuts, preventing damage to soft tissues in the joint, and insert the latest generation of joint replacements with great accuracy and precision.
The aim is to support faster recovery times for patients, reduce pain and improve functional results and longevity of the implants.
The robotic technology uses 3D images generated by the patient’s own CT scan to plan the exact size and orientation of the implant to be fitted. This information is then used to precisely guide the surgeon to remove the bone and fit the implant, with the ability to change the position of an implant during the procedure if necessary.
Thelma Henderson, hospital director at Nuffield Health Chichester, adds: “We are very excited to be able to bring this technology to Sussex and our orthopaedic surgeons. This Mako™ robotic-arm technology is the newest innovation in the orthopaedic arena and patients can now access this locally.
“With more than 600 knee and hip replacements being undertaken at our hospital in 2023, an increase of almost 20 per cent compared to 2022, it’s evident that this surgery is a common requirement in our county.
"The Mako™ robot will enable surgeons to achieve a level of precision and accuracy that has previously been unattainable, and we’re excited to now provide this surgery option to patients.
"By having six highly experienced orthopaedic consultants offering this advanced surgery at our hospital, I am confident that even more patients will benefit from the most-up-to-date technology available to ease their pain and provide renewed mobility and quality of life.
“As part of the UK’s largest healthcare charity we endeavour to support our local community and give back, and an extremely positive way for us to do this is for Nuffield Health Chichester Hospital to offer its support to the local NHS Trust and offer our Mako™ robot as an option to patients in an effort to reduce waiting times for orthopaedic surgery.”