Conditions like arthritis and injury can cause both bone and soft tissue to deteriorate. In many cases, hip replacement surgery can restore independence and mobility, which doctors have performed manually for decades. However, some of these operations haven’t turned out well due to the new hip not fitting precisely. Robotic-assisted hip replacement has a higher success rate, with a shorter recovery period than manual surgery.
Procedure
Hip replacement surgery generally consists of removing and replacing your natural hip with an artificial one. The first step is to take a CT scan that generates a three-dimensional model of your hip joint. This model creates the artificial hip, which consists of two parts connecting via a ball-and-socket joint, just like your natural hip. The first component is a metal step with a ball on the end that the surgeon implants in the top of your femur. The second part is a socket implanted in your hip.
During the surgery, a robotic arm performs a pre-programmed sequence of actions while restricting its movements to a predefined area. The surgeon can adjust these parameters in real time to adjust for conditions that change during the surgery. One of the most important requirements for a successful hip replacement is ensuring that the replaced hip matches the one on the other side. Another key requirement for success is the angle of the hip joint. Studies show that robotic-assisted surgery is significantly more accurate than manual surgery for both of these factors.
Benefits
Increased precision of the new hip is the greatest advantage of robotic hip replacement over manual techniques. This difference is most apparent during walking, where accurate placement of the new joint is crucial to walking naturally.
Recovery
The hip joint is a large anatomical feature, requiring manual surgery to make numerous large incisions. The size of these incisions means that a lot of tissue is disrupted, resulting in the notoriously long recovery time for manual hip surgery. The precision of robotic surgery allows incisions to be significantly smaller, reducing the recovery time.
Is a Robotic Hip Replacement for You?
If you have hip pain that has not responded to conservative treatment, you should contact Dr. Alexander McLawhorn’s office for a consultation. You can reach us at 212-606-1065 for the New York, NY, office and 203-705-2113 for the Stamford, CT, office to schedule a consultation.
