ROCK HILL, S.C. ― Piedmont Medial Center Rock Hill is now offering its community members Mako SmartRobotics™. This advancement in joint surgery transforms the way total knee replacements, partial knee, and total hip, and partial hip replacements are performed, by helping surgeons with accuracy which may lead to a faster recovery for the patient.

Patients who undergo joint replacement surgery using Mako SmartRobotics^TM may not only recover faster but may also experience less pain, and have less blood loss than those who have undergone manual joint replacement surgery. Patients who have undergone the surgery have also been proven to have higher satisfaction through better functional outcomes.

“We are proud to offer the Mako SmartRobotics™ technology at Piedmont Medical Center - Fort Mill and now at our Rock Hill hospital,” said Teresa Urquhart, Market CEO of Piedmont Medical Center. “This addition to our orthopedic service line further demonstrates our commitment to high-quality care.”

"The Mako SmartRobotics system for Joint Replacement has without a doubt improved the outcomes for my patients.  Having performed hundreds of knee and hip replacement surgeries with this technology, I am confident that it makes a difference in my patient's recovery and satisfaction following their procedure", said Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Brian D. Tallerico.  "During surgery, Mako allows me to fine tune and customize the surgical approach while guiding the robotic arm to successfully execute the surgery.  It's a privilege to be able to provide this technology to my patients with the full support of Piedmont Medical Center staff, so they can recover quickly and get back to an active lifestyle."

Stryker’s Mako SmartRobotics™ gives surgeons components that no other orthopedic robotics platform has. With CT-based planning, surgeons can plan in advance of a patient’s surgery, enabling a more predictable and personalized surgical experience when performing joint replacement surgery, while enhancing patient outcomes.

Total knee replacements in the United States were expected to increase 85% between 2020 and 2030, yet studies have shown that approximately 20% of patients are dissatisfied after conventional surgery. Mako Total Knee combines Stryker’s advanced robotic technology with its clinically successful Triathlon Total Knee System, which enables surgeons to have a more predictable surgical experience with increased precision and accuracy.

Mako SmartRobotics™ for Partial Knee replacement is a treatment option designed to relieve the pain caused by joint degeneration due to osteoarthritis that has not yet progressed to all three compartments of the knee. By selectively targeting only the part of the knee damaged by osteoarthritis, surgeons can resurface the diseased portion of the knee while helping to protect the healthy bone surrounding the knee joint. Studies have shown that robotic arm assisted partial knee replacement has demonstrated increased accuracy of implant position compared to manual partial knee replacement procedures.

By 2030, total hip replacements in the US are expected to rise by 71%. For those dealing with degenerative joint disease of the hip, Mako SmartRobotics™ offers a different treatment option. During the procedure, a surgeon uses a robotic arm to precisely prepare the hip socket and place the implant, all following a carefully planned surgical strategy. In a study comparing acetabular bone resection, the results indicated that Mako total hip surgeries preserved more bone compared to traditional manual surgeries.