NUFFIELD Health Woking Hospital has taken delivery of a Mako robot, which enables consultant surgeons to carry out more precise knee and hip replacements, with patients likely to experience less pain and faster recoveries after the robot-assisted surgery.

The Mako technology works by using a robotic arm to remove damaged bone and cartilage and precisely position the new hip or knee implant, with the consultant surgeon creating a bespoke 3D model using the Mako software.

The robot highlights the hospital’s ambition to provide local people with access to best-in-class healthcare technology, ensuring they receive a high-quality patient journey.

Justine Duda, health systems director at Nuffield Health Woking Hospital, said: “The arrival of the Mako robot here at Woking demonstrates the important role robotic technology plays in advancing healthcare and our hospital team’s ambition to ensure local people, including NHS patients, with joint conditions have access to the best possible experiences.

“We and our expert consultant surgeons take a personal approach by treating everyone as an individual with their health challenges and aspirations.”

Dean Michael, consultant hip and knee surgeon at the Surrey Orthopaedic Clinic, who practises at Nuffield Health Woking Hospital, said: “Robotic surgery using the Mako robot has been shown to improve the accuracy of hip and knee replacement component positioning and potentially reduce surgical soft-tissue trauma.

“It’s hoped this may lead to optimised recovery and shorter length of stay for patients, as well as improving the long-term survival of these joint replacements. 

“This is a major investment from Nuffield Health Woking Hospital and I’m looking forward to being able to offer this to my patients.”

Constant Busch, consultant orthopaedic surgeon who also practises at Nuffield Health Woking Hospital, added: “Any experienced surgeon will be able to make accurate bony cuts but evidence shows the Mako robot will increase the accuracy even further.

“There is good evidence that increased accuracy in placing total knee replacement components leads to improved function and shortened hospital stay. 

“This evidence is also available in patients having total hip replacement, but to a slightly lesser extent.

“The use of the Mako robot allows for less disruption to the soft tissues to occur and is probably one of the reasons overall pain scores are less. 

“Improved patient satisfaction has also been reported.”

The new robot at Nuffield Health Woking Hospital joins Mako robots at Nuffield Health’s Bournemouth, Glasgow, Cam-bridge, Exeter and Cardiff & Vale hospitals. 

To find out more, visit www.nuffieldhealth.com