Since opening in 1977, Banner Health Torrington Community Hospital has provided critical healthcare access, including joint replacement surgeries, to the people of southeast Wyoming and neighboring Nebraska.
As healthcare technology rapidly grows, Community Hospital is staying a step ahead by integrating the Stryker Mako SmartRobotics System into joint replacement surgeries. This revolutionary technology is available for hip and full and partial knee replacement surgeries, and patients are returning to their daily activities faster and more comfortably than ever.
Levi Keener, Community Hospital’s director of clinical operations, said they chose the Mako system because of its clinically proven ability to give patients a better experience. “There’s evidence that patients have better outcomes with this method of surgery versus a conventional orthopedic replacement,” he said.
Mako’s knee or hip replacement advantages begin with a personalized surgical plan. “A CT scan creates a 3D model of the patient’s orthopedic structure,” said Keener. “Saving as much bone as possible extends the life of the orthopedic prosthetic, and patients can have better physical therapy outcomes.”
The CT scan also provides a look at surrounding joints. For instance, a patient having their knee replaced will get a CT scan of their hip and ankle areas. “That way, when they’re building the prosthetic and planning for surgery, they know how the patient’s unique anatomy aligns from hip to toe,” said Keener.
In the operating room, the surgeon guides the Mako’s robotic arm to perform a precise, minimized surgery according to the patient’s custom plan. With the Mako’s smaller incisions and the ability to preserve healthy tissues and bones, patients experience less pain and shorter hospital stays compared to manual joint replacements.
“The custom surgical plan means the robot will help the surgeon know how much bone to cut and won’t allow for any more bone removal than what the 3D model predicted,” said Keener, who also emphasizes that the robot’s role is to assist. “The orthopedic surgeon controls the procedure,” he said.
Community Hospital RN and director of patient care services Libby Montgomery added that the Mako system can facilitate more complex joint replacements by accommodating a patient’s natural curvature in their joint. “The Mako system makes it easier to retain the patient’s natural curvature, so they don’t feel a difference after the surgery in terms of their natural gait when they walk,” she said. After the operation, patients typically recover faster and need less inpatient physical therapy.
Compared with a manual joint replacement, many patients can resume their regular activities one week faster with the Mako system and enjoy greater joint flexibility. “Most patients are concerned about pain,” said Montgomery. “To reduce a six-week recovery time by a week is significant to the patient.”
If a person is experiencing chronic joint pain, it might be time to consider a joint replacement. A Community Hospital provider can walk patients through their options, risks and benefits to determine if a Mako-facilitated joint replacement surgery is right for them.
“We are remote in Wyoming, but we’re a part of the Banner Health system, and we want to provide the same level of patient care as larger areas,” said Keener, who is committed to staying at the forefront of emerging healthcare technology.
If you are considering a joint replacement, schedule an appointment with Community Hospital’s orthopedic program to see if a Mako-enabled joint replacement would be right for you.
