News

MidState Medical Center News

Web Site: http://www.midstatemedical.org
- Hartford Healthcare 435 Lewis Avenue, Meriden, CT 06451 - 2101
Tel: (203) 694-8731

MidState Medical Center, consistently rated among top hospitals for patient satisfaction, offers private rooms and state-of-the-art health services offered by highly skilled physicians and staff.

View all News Articles for MidState Medical Center

A Breakthrough for Hip & Knee Patients

July 16, 2015

In July, Midstate performed its first MAKOplasty� for partial knee resurfacing and total hip replacement procedures using the RIO� Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System. RIO is a surgeon-controlled robotic arm system that enables accurate alignment and placement of implants.

Midstate surgical services staff completed training with the new technology in June. Dr. Obi Osuji, an orthopedic surgeon affiliated with Hartford HealthCare Medical Group, performed the first hip replacement procedure on July 6 at Midstate Medical Center.

"This technology gives me an extra tool to ensure accuracy," Dr. Osuji says. "In a partial knee procedure for example, I'm able to manually stretch and balance the knee during surgery and use the computer navigation to my advantage�assuring proper alignment and balance."

The RIO System features a patient-specific visualization system and robotic arm technology that is integrated with intelligent surgical instruments. It assists surgeons in pre-planning and in treating each patient uniquely and consistently.

"This technology allows us to implant the joints more accurately. That's the big advantage. If we implant the components more accurately during a hip replacement for example, patients have less of a chance of a dislocation or one leg being shorter or longer than the other," Dr. Osuji says.

During MAKOplasty total hip replacement surgery, RIO provides visualization of the joint and biomechanical data to guide the bone preparation and implant positioning to match the pre-surgical plan. After first preparing the femur or thighbone, the surgeon uses the robotic arm to accurately ream and shape the acetabulum socket in the hip, and then implant the cup at the correct depth and orientation. The surgeon then implants the femoral implant. MAKOplasty can help surgeons with more accurate cup placement and leg length restoration.

MAKOplasty Partial Knee Resurfacing is a treatment option for adults living with early to mid-stage osteoarthritis that has not yet progressed to all three compartments of the knee. It is less invasive than traditional total knee surgery. A pre-surgical plan is created based on a CT scan of the patient's own knee, and the surgeon uses the robotic arm during surgery to resurface the diseased portion of the knee, sparing healthy bone and surrounding tissue for a more natural feeling knee. An implant is then secured in the joint to allow the knee to move smoothly again.

Eric Lisitano, regional manager of orthopedic services, says because of the less-invasive nature of the procedure, patients recover faster and the number of patients needing revision is less than 1%. Other benefits of MAKOplasty Knee and Hip procedures can include a smaller incision, reduced blood loss, bone sparing, shorter hospitalizations and a more rapid return to every day life's activities.

"This is a very advanced technology that we are very excited to offer to patients in our community. It's a very precise approach to fitting the implants that is not possible with traditional arthroplasty," he says.

Member News is provided as a service of the Midstate Chamber of Commerce and is also featured in the monthly "Chamber News" newsletter mailed to members.