WRH First in Ontario to Perform Robot Assisted Hip Replacement
22-2-2023
Windsor Regional Hospital remains on the cutting edge when it comes to offering the latest technology to its patients.
Earlier this month, Dr. Greg Jasey and Dr. Mike McCaffrey became the first surgeons in Ontario to perform a total hip replacement with the assistance of the Stryker Mako SmartRobotics system - a specialized robot used to perform joint replacement surgery.
“Before the surgery even begins, it allows the surgeon to generate a more detailed pre-operative plan based on 3D anatomy taken from a pre-operative CT scan. In traditional manual surgery, this is done based on 2D imaging or X-rays,” explains Dr. McCaffrey. “This difference alone is night and day. This technology then allows the surgeon's plan to be customized to the patient's specific needs. The components of the joint replacement can be placed with more accuracy and consistency as well as in a less traumatic fashion than with traditional techniques.”
The assistance of the Stryker Mako robot allows for greater precision and accuracy and, as a result, fewer corrective procedures for patients down the road. The robot is expected to improve patient outcomes and recovery while lowering the number of corrective surgeries needed to fine-tune work done in previous procedures.
“Some of the biggest problems with hip replacements in North America are dislocations. We find that most of those situations are the results of components not being put in quite the right position,” explains Dr. Jasey. “Being able to put the components in the right position decreases the failure rate of hip replacement surgery.”
The $1.5-million machine is a new addition to the WRH arsenal and has been used for a number of knee replacement procedures, but applying it to hip replacements has been a groundbreaking move in the healthcare sector.
“The field of medicine is always evolving and requires lifelong learning and adapting to new technologies that can potentially help our patients and improve their outcomes. However, before we embrace such a new technology, it is important that it has demonstrated clear and measurable benefits against the current status quo,” says Dr. McCaffrey, adding that WRH has strongly supported the adoption of this technology after reviewing data from other centres.
The Stryker Mako SmartRobotics system went operational at WRH on February 1, 2023. The system was first used for knees by St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton in 2019, while its first use for hips in Canada took place just last year at Dartmouth General Hospital in Nova Scotia and is currently the only other hospital in the country using the technology for hip replacement procedures.
Windsor Regional Hospital wishes to thank its Board of Directors for the purchase and for agreeing to invest in innovative care for patients across Windsor-Essex, as well as the many donors who generously contribute funds to our Windsor Regional Hospital Foundation for many equipment purchases and upgrades.
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