ValleyOrtho has reached the milestone of performing 1,000 Mako Robotic-Arm surgeries since offering the technology to patients in 2018. Transforming the way knee and hip replacements are performed, the Mako Robotic Arm is a state-of-the-art technology that allows orthopedic surgeons to precisely perform joint replacement surgery based on each person’s unique anatomy.

While the Mako Robotic Arm was initially only found in large metropolitan areas, Valley View was the first hospital in the Roaring Fork Valley and Eagle River Valley to use this medical advancement, starting in 2018. This technology reduces post-surgical pain, shortens hospital stays, and promotes quicker rehabilitation.

Valley View now offers two Mako Robotic-Arms: one at Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, and the other at the new state-of-the-art Valley View Surgery Center in Basalt.

The Mako Robotic Arm is used to perform knee and hip replacements. Orthopedic surgeons pre-plan surgery using Mako’s software, and then perform the operation by guiding the robotic arm.

First, a CT scan is used to build a virtual 3D model of the patient’s joint. Then, the model is loaded into the Mako system software to create a surgical plan, based on the patient’s specific anatomy, before entering the operating room. The Robotic Arm assists in providing precise component placement and alignment of the knee or hip, allowing the surgeon to make needed adjustments during the operation.

The Mako Robotic Arm allows precision of component placement within 1mm of the patient’s individual plan. This more precise placement results in improved short and long term outcomes, and reduces the risk of complications.

Patients have the opportunity to receive surgical expertise from ValleyOrtho’s dedicated group of fellowship-trained surgeons including Christopher George, MD; Ferdinand “Tito” Liotta, MD; Daniel O’Connor, MD; Tomas Pevny, MD; Michael Potter, MD; Noel Armstrong, DPM and Mark Purnell, MD. Dr. George, Dr. O’Connor and Dr. Pevny are all trained and specialized to perform Mako Robotic Arm surgeries.

“Use of the Mako Robotic Arm at Valley View Hospital has been a game changer for my patients,” said Dr. George. “When used for joint replacement surgeries, the Mako Robotic Arm provides each patient with a personalized surgical experience, allowing the surgeries to be more precise, offering better outcomes and patients to experience less pain.”

“It is a great accomplishment for our world-class team of orthopedic surgeons to have performed 1,000 Mako Robotic Arm surgeries since we introduced the technology at Valley View in 2018,” said Brian Murphy, MD, CEO of Valley View. “As a rural health system, we are proud to offer patients this state-of-the art surgery to best care for our patients, close to where they live and work. Throughout the Valley View network of care, we are dedicated to offering the latest technology to support the healthcare needs of our local community.”

For more information about surgical services at Valley View, please visit VVH.org.