Dan Champaigne tried to work around his knee pain. He stayed active, walking
and biking, with the hope that the pain would go away. Then one day his
knee gave out, and he found himself on the ground.
“I figured my knee problem was probably more than I wanted to acknowledge,
and it was,” he says. “This stubborn old guy finally got it
checked out.”
Denny A. Carter, M.D., a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon with
Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery, explained to Mr. Champaigne that he needed a
total knee replacement — and that he was a great candidate for
Mako® Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery.
The Mako System is the latest, high-tech joint replacement tool for replacing
worn-out hips and knees.
“Mako is not reinventing the wheel when it comes to total hip and
knee or partial knee replacements,” says
Beau Sasser, M.D., board-certified orthopaedic surgeon at
Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery. “However, it improves the accuracy of these procedures by allowing
the implants to be placed in the best possible position for each individual
patient.”
That exact, personalized care with Mako starts with a CT scan of the patient’s
diseased joint.
The scan is then uploaded into the Mako System software, which creates
a 3-D model of the joint. The surgeon uses the model to identify the best
size implant to insert — and how best to position it — based
on the patient’s specific anatomy. All of this takes place prior
to surgery, and it ensures that the implant will fit perfectly.
During the actual operation, the surgeon guides the Mako robotic arm to
make precise cuts — based on the pre-surgery planning — in
the hip or knee bone to install the artificial joint.
“Any candidate for traditional knee replacement is a candidate for
Mako surgery,” says Dr. Carter. “In fact, some of the more
difficult cases that may have given us pause in the past, due to potential
complications, are now possible with Mako.”
The Mako System is so precise that surgeons can use it to target only the
damaged areas of the joint, preserving surrounding healthy bone and tissue.
This can decrease pain and reduce hospital stays for patients.
Many patients who have joint replacement surgery with the Mako System often
enjoy faster recoveries and better range of motion compared to people
who have traditional joint replacement surgery.
Mr. Champaigne started physical therapy within hours after his surgery.
“They get you right up and going,” he says. “The whole
experience with the Summit team and the orthopaedic department at Southeast
Georgia Health System has been great,” adds Mr. Champaigne. “From
diagnosis and the Joint Journey classes beforehand to the surgery and
physical therapy, I’ve been totally informed. I knew what to expect.”
“I would certainly recommend having your knee replaced, if necessary,”
he says. “It will give you a new lease on life. Don’t hesitate
— don’t do like me and wait until you fall. Go see about it,
and get it taken care of!”