COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT
Norwood, MA – Those suffering from knee pain have a new surgical option available at NorwoodHospital – MAKOplasty® Partial Knee Resurfacing. Norwood is one of the first hospitals inMassachusetts to offer this new, minimally invasive procedure for treatment of early- to mid-stage osteoarthritis.
Norwood Hospital joins the nation’s two highest-ranked hospitals for joint replacement surgery, the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., as well as 78 other hospitals nationwide, in providing this state-of-the-art knee replacement surgery alternative. More than 7,100 MAKOplasty® procedures have been performed across the country since 2006.
MAKOplasty® is powered by the RIO® Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System that was designed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The robotic arm and a 3-D virtual patient specific visualization system allow surgeons to perform partial knee resurfacing with more precision than ever before. The procedure requires a smaller incision than a traditional total knee replacement and also spares healthy bone. Also, there is less wear or loosening of the implant due to more exact alignment and positioning. Many patients return to an active lifestyle with a more natural feeling knee within weeks of surgery.
“MAKOplasty allows us to treat patients with knee osteoarthritis at earlier stages and with greater precision. Because it is less invasive and preserves more of the patient’s natural knee, we expect patients to have relief from their pain, gain back their knee motion, and return to their daily activities more quickly,” said Douglas Bentley, MD, of Norwood Hospital, who performed the first surgery on a 42 year-old patient.
“Precision is key in planning and performing partial knee surgeries,” said Susan Chabot, MD, chief of orthopedics at Norwood Hospital. “For a good outcome you need to align and position the implants just right. Precision in surgery, and in the pre-operative planning process, is what RIO can deliver.”
For more information about MAKOplasty®, please visit www.steward.org/MAKOplasty. For an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon who offers the surgery, please call Steward DoctorFinder at800-488-5959.
About Norwood Hospital
The 264-bed Norwood Hospital, provides emergency, cardiology, advanced surgical, endoscopic, psychiatric, OB/GYN and Children’s Hospital Boston pediatric services and is a member of Steward Health Care. Information about Norwood Hospital’s programs and services is available atwww.Norwood-Hospital.org.
About Steward Health Care
Steward Health Care is the largest community-based accountable care organization and community hospital network in New England. Headquartered in Boston, Steward has more than 13,000 employees serving more than one million patients annually in 85 communities. Hospitals in the system include Saint Anne’s in Fall River, Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, Norwood Hospital, Carney Hospital in Dorchester, and Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, Merrimack Valley Hospital in Haverhill, Morton Hospital in Taunton and Quincy Medical Center. Other Steward Health Care entities include Steward Physician Network, Steward Home Care, which also provides hospice services, LabouréCollege, and Por Cristo. Further information is available at www.steward.org.