Robotic arm assisted surgery comes to Tobey Hospital
Dr. Christian Dee, left, and Dr. John Carroll show off the new robotic tech at Tobey Hospital. Source: Southcoast Health
Dr. Christian Dee, left, and Dr. John Carroll show off the new robotic tech at Tobey Hospital. Source: Southcoast Health
Orthopedic doctors at Tobey Hospital have a new team member coming on board. However, this team member isn't a human doctor. It's a robot — which may soon be in the operating room.
According to Southcoast Health, a new Mako robotic arm is making its debut at Wareham's Tobey Hospital. The technology guides surgeons through cuts during a surgery and prevents them from cutting outside planned surgical boundaries. The tool is particularly used for those who have arthritis of the knee or hip and allows them to cut within millimeters of the designed surgery plan.
“By pairing our extensive surgical expertise with patient specific robotic mapping, the team ensures surgical precision tailored to each individual patient’s body," said Dr. Christopher Skeehan, Southcoast Health Medical Director of the Total Joint Program, in a press release. "The result is superior joint stability and function, and a faster road to recovery,”
The benefits of robotic surgery include conserving bone and healthy tissue, less scarring, faster recovery times, greater surgical precision and reduced infection risk, according to Southcoast Health.
"We are proud to invest in the latest orthopedic surgery treatments and to continue advancing the high-quality care we provide to our patients across the health system,” Southcoast Health Executive Vice President and Chief Physician Officer Dr. Dennis La Rock said, in a press release.
The robotic technology has been used at Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River for over five years, according to Southcoast Health. That hospital's orthopedic surgery team performs more than 1,000 joint replacements each year. Tobey Hospital's robot is the second of its kind in the Southcoast Health system.
