UPR hospital in Carolina breaks in new robotic tech for knee, hip replacement surgeries
The Puerto Rico Orthopedic Center of the University of Puerto Rico’s Dr. Federico Trilla Hospital in Carolina this week began performing the first knee replacement operation with Mako SmartRobotics robotic technology.
The robot — which the hospital said is unique to Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and the Central America region — is used to perform knee and hip replacement surgeries.
The technology benefits the patient by facilitating a faster recovery, hospital officials added.
“I’m very proud and honored to be able to undertake this historic intervention, the first in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, using the MAKO robot. This technology allows us to develop a personalized pre-surgical plan,” said Antonio Otero-López, director of the Orthopedics Program at the UPR School of Medicine.
“The robot records the CT Scan information and the patient’s anatomy; the surgeon analyzes it and makes the necessary adjustments. The robotic arm then makes the cuts, guided by the surgeon’s hands,” he said.
“According to the patients’ needs, this technology helps us achieve a unique replacement surgery. This contributes to the patient having a faster recovery compared to traditional techniques or technologies,” the physician said.
Another advantage of robotic surgery is that there is minor dissection and release of soft tissue, which gives the patient the opportunity for a quicker and less painful recovery. According to the specialist, this should correlate to greater patient satisfaction with a shorter hospital stay and more effective and successful rehabilitation.
Richard Valentín-Blasini, a specialist in hip and knee replacement at the Hospital UPR-Dr. Federico Trilla, said “this technology comes to revolutionize the treatment for patients with knee and hip discomfort since the precision it offers contributes to a better fit for the implant. In this way, it is possible to obtain better results for our patients.”
The Mako SmartRobotics robotic technology also represents benefits for the residents of the Orthopedics Program UPR’s Medical Sciences Campus since it will allow them to train in its operation.
