Partial knee replacement surgery used to be traumatic and recovery used to take several months. Just ask Joe Owings of Wilkes County, North Carolina. Owings, who splits his time as a minister and used car salesperson, needed partial knee replacementto continue his ministry and continue selling cars.
For the first knee, Owings had ‘traditional’ knee surgery and endured significant pain and a long rehabilitation. However, between knee surgeries, technology advanced and Owings was able to benefit from MAKOplasty® partial knee replacement and resurfacing surgery—which is one of the latest technologies in the practice of orthopedics.
“I recovered faster and there seemed to be a dramatic reduction in the trauma to my knee, compared with my other knee surgery,” Owings said. “I had knee problems for three years and had to stop my overseas mission work. Now I can get back to my mission work.”
For the surgery, Owings chose Wake Forest Baptist Health, which has one of the few orthopedic departments in the United States using this technology. Owings reports a more natural feeling in his knee after MAKOplasty® partial knee replacement and resurfacing surgery. There’s also a reduced likelihood that Owings will need additional surgery in the future.
With the MAKOplasty® procedure, an orthopedic surgeon resurfaces the ‘bad’ portion of the knee and preserves healthy bone and tissue. The surgeon secures an implant to the healthy bone using a small robotic arm that provides microscopic accuracy. The result is a more precise procedure with less trauma. This means an outpatient procedure with significantly faster recovery time and less pain. The incision is much smaller: two to three inches as opposed to 8 inches or more with ‘traditional’ surgery.
Many patients can walk immediately following surgery and resume daily activities in four weeks after the procedure. Physical therapy follows but takes less time because theprocedure is less invasive.
At Wake Forest Baptist Medical, two orthopedic surgeons are among the first in the country to be performing the new procedure. Joe’s orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Gary Poehling, used the MAKO Tactile Guidance System™ to replace a compartment in his right knee. Dr. Riyaz Jinnahalso performs the surgery which begins with a computed tomography (CT) scan of the knee. A computer indicates the optimal size implant for the patient.
“This state-of-the-art surgery is extremely precise,” Dr. Jinnah said. “With the robotic arm, you place the component in the optimal position. If you do that, you certainly get the best possible function, and that is critical in longevity as well.”
If you’re facing the possibility of partial knee replacement surgery, you can find a doctor by visiting here. Or you can find a clinic location by clicking here.