Image: BJU CMO Sun Fei presented flowers to Lu Jike, Chief of the Orthopedics Department, heading a surgical operation.

In April 2019, Dr. Lu Jike, Chief of the Orthopedics Department in Beijing United Family Hospital (BJU) and his orthopedic team successfully completed a total hip arthroplasty using the new Mako orthopedic robot. The operation went smoothly and owing to a great recovery, the patient, a 45 year old French national, is now fully satisfied with the operation and the medical experience in BJU.

Image: The Mako robot interactive mechanical arm system

On the second day after the operation, the patient was able to walk with the aid of a walker. A Mako orthopedic robot can assist orthopedic doctors to carry out surgical operations, effectively reducing the incidence of postoperative leg length discrepancy, joint dislocation, and prosthesis loosening caused by inaccuracies.

BJU is the first non-public medical institution in northern China to introduce the Mako orthopedic surgical robot system. The introduction of the Mako robot means UFH has entered the era of minimally invasive robots in an all-round way. This means that patients with joint diseases visiting a UFH doctor can enjoy international advanced precision intelligent joint replacement without the need to visit a different city.

Image: The surgeon team

From left: Dr. Cui Yujie, Dr. Lu Jike, and Dr. Ren Wei

To educate patients know about osseous joint disease and the concept of precise and minimally invasive medical treatment, the BJU Department of Orthopedics held the 3rd International Orthopedics Symposium in May 2019. The theme of this symposium was about total hip arthroplasty conducted using a Mako robot.

This meeting featured renowned American orthopedic expert Prof. Sean D Toomey and two orthopedic experts from Peking University People’s Hospital to who took part in academic exchanges. This meeting provided a platform for sharing, exchanging and learning with fellow practitioners in the industry, and allow the achievements of medical progress to benefit more osteoarthritis patients in need.

Image: Orthopedic doctors and Mako robot

At the beginning of 2019, the Mako orthopedic robot officially arrived in BJU.

BJU is the first non-public medical institution in northern China to introduce the Mako orthopedic surgical robot system.

The Mako orthopedic surgery navigation system is the most current model with an accurate mechanical arm system and innovative hip and knee prosthesis system. The system breaks through the limitation of traditional tools, carries out personalized design and specific prosthesis replacement for each patient, and enables hip and knee joints to recover with more natural movement.

What kind of patients can receive treatment with the Mako orthopedic robot?It is applicable for adults suffering from non-inflammatory or inflammatory degenerative arthropathy. Indications include total hip replacement, total knee replacement, and unicondylar replacement.

  • Osteoarthritis: The most common type of hip arthritis is called “abrasive arthritis” because cartilage wears with the passage of time. With the wearing of protective cartilage, bones are exposed, and bone-to-bone contact occurs.
  • Post-traumatic arthritis: results of severe fracture or dislocation of hip joint
  • Rheumatoid arthritis: inflammatory arthritis of joints
  • Ischemic necrosis: The “ball” or femoral head loses healthy blood flow, leading to bone death and a deformed femoral head
  • Hip dysplasia: hip deformation or misalignment

How is the Mako orthopedic robot more convenient for patients?

Dr. Lu Jike says that compared with traditional joint replacement surgery, the Mako robot can carry out precise individualized modeling, measurement and design before the operation to ensure accurate and safe operation during surgery, thus assisting in the completion of individualized and accurate artificial joint replacement and greatly reducing the incidence of postoperative leg length discrepancy, joint dislocation, and prosthesis loosening caused by inaccuracy.

In addition, by controlling the robotic arm, doctors can also complete some actions and steps that cannot be completed in the traditional way. As such, they can solve the problems encountered in the conventional operation, bringing better and more minimally invasive operation effects to the majority of patients, reducing operation risks, and shortening the operation duration and in-hospital stay.

The Mako orthopedic surgery robot introduced by BJU heralds the entry of UFH into a new era of minimally invasive robots in an even more comprehensive way.

The minimally invasive era not only refers to the hospital having more new technologies and equipment but also lies in the understanding and pursuit of new technologies, which always runs through the culture of the hospital and whole UFH network. If you do not master and apply technology, you will never understand the changes brought about by technologies. This pursuit is the founding mission of the hospital to continuously improve medical quality in light of the needs of patients. When introducing any new equipment, UFH will constantly and painstakingly follows a patient-centered philosophy.

—Ms. Sylvia Pan, General Manager of Beijing United Family Hospital

Source: MAKO SURGICAL CORP’s teaching materials