Windsor Regional Hospital is on the cutting edge with a milestone in hip surgery.
The hospital is the first in Ontario to perform a robotic procedure called the Stryker Mako SmartRobotics system on a patient needing a hip procedure. The system had already been used to perform knee surgeries but new ground was broken when a 46-year-old Windsor police officer was the first patient to undergo hip surgery with the robotic system.
Dr. Greg Jasey and Dr. Mike McCaffrey were the surgeons to perform the first hip surgery. During a Zoom call with reporters Wednesday, Jasey said razor-thin accuracy is the story behind the technology.
"Research has been done in the U.S., and some research has been done in Canada, showing that we can do more precise cuts, more accurate and reproducible cuts and position of our prostheses, to give our patients a more positive outcome," said Jasey.
With the Stryker Mako SmartRobotics system, the surgeon works with a pre-operatic 3D scan of the affected area, allowing the doctor to work with a plan more detailed than traditional x-rays or 2D images. The system reduces the risk of the patient needing corrective surgery in the future.
Bryan Hayes was the first Ontario patient to take advantage of the robotic system for a hip procedure. He told reporters Wednesday that he hasn't required more recovery time.
"It's been two weeks since the surgery was done, and [Tuesday], I was able to get going with physio," said Hayes. "I'm getting around with minimal assistance. There is a little pain, but still, that's to be expected. But overall, I'm very happy and very fortunate to be a recipient of this new technology."
While Windsor Regional Hospital is the first Ontario hospital to use the robotic system, it is not the first in Canada. St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton was the first to use it in 2019 for knees. The first use for hips nationwide was last year at Dartmouth General Hospital in Nova Scotia, which is the only other Canadian hospital using the system for hip replacement procedures.
The system was put in place at WRH for $1.5-million.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fnyim62S94&t=3s