Total Knee Replacement
Candidates for total knee replacement are generally patients whose joints are severely damaged due to progressive arthritis, trauma or some other destructive joint disease. In addition to a pattern of increasing pain and stiffness, patients considering total knee replacement are also hindered by decreasing daily function. The key benefits of a total knee replacement are: elimination of pain, improved motion and minimum wear and tear. It offers significant improved quality of life as well as one of the highest success rates.
Swedish is the first in the Pacific Northwest to offer MAKO robotic-arm assisted technology for total knee replacements. Patients suffering from degenerative knee diseases now have an alternative to traditional knee replacement surgery. MAKO is robotically-assisted surgery that offers a high level of accuracy for joint resurfacing and replacement. For patients, this means that surgery is done through a much smaller incision and there is typically a faster recovery when compared to total knee replacement surgery.
The advantages of using MAKO include patient-specific treatment plans with 3-D modeling derived from CT scans. This enables accurate pre-surgical planning of the implant size, orientation, and alignment. When integrated with the surgeon’s skilled hand, MAKO provides precise real-time intraoperative balancing of knee ligaments, which optimizes stability and range of motion, and promotes a more natural feeling knee for the patient.
As a knee arthroplasty procedure, MAKO is typically covered by most Medicare-approved and private health insurers.
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