South Florida Baptist Hospital Adds Second Robot to Surgical Services

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Offers Hip and Knee Procedures Performed with Highly-Advanced Robotic Arm Technology

PLANT CITY, Fla., Jan. 15, 2016 — South Florida Baptist Hospital has added a second robot to its arsenal of technological advances in surgery.  The hospital now offers  MAKOplasty^®  Partial Knee Resurfacing and MAKOplasty^® Total Hip Replacement procedures, performed using the Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System (RIO^®).  

“Accuracy is key in planning and performing both partial knee and total hip procedures,” said Scott Goldsmith, M.D., lead orthopedic surgeon, at South Florida Baptist Hospital. “For a good outcome, you need to align and position the implants just right.  RIO enables surgeons to personalize partial knee and total hip replacements to achieve optimal accuracy.”

Dr. Goldsmith, who has performed joint procedures at South Florida Baptist Hospital for the past eight years, calls MAKOplasty the next step of technology.  “We’ll be doing the exact same procedures, just in a more accurate way,” he said.  “The robot will make it a more straightforward procedure.”  The difference is in the pre-operative planning.

In advance of surgery, a CT scan is made of the hip or knee joint.  The pre-operative CT scan is reviewed in great detail, where it is mapped out to the patient’s exact anatomy and images of the implants are superimposed onto the joint.  “This adds a three-dimensional aspect to the pre-operative planning that complements using the robot at the time of surgery, allowing the surgeon to place the implants precisely where we intend them to go,” Dr. Goldsmith explained. 

While a surgeon using a robot for general surgery is seated at a console away from the operative table, a surgeon using RIO remains at the surgical site doing the procedure with robotic assistance.  The robotic arms ensure that the exact specifications mapped out in the CT are being followed, but still allows the surgeon to override and make corrections based on actual anatomic findings, if needed.

MAKOplasty Partial Knee Resurfacing, which is used primarily for repairing osteoarthritis of the knee, spares healthy bone and surrounding tissue for a more natural feeling knee.  “With the robot, the surgeon has the ability to remove only the diseased portion of the bone in a more accurate fashion.  The areas of the knee that do not have significant arthritis can be left alone,” Dr. Goldsmith said.

An advantage of using RIO for total hip replacement is that the surgeon uses the robotic arm to accurately ream and shape the hip socket, and then implants the cup at the correct depth and orientation.  This provides more accurate leg length restoration and reduces the potential for patient discomfort and walking complications.

Orthopedic surgeons will begin using MAKOplasty Total Hip Arthroplasty and MAKOplasty Partial Knee Replacement in February at South Florida Baptist Hospital.   In the near future, this technology will be applied to total knee replacement as well.

“We are proud to be able to use this innovative technology in Plant City,” said Karen Kerr, president, South Florida Baptist Hospital. “It is part of our commitment to provide our community with the best possible healthcare.”

To learn more about MAKOplasty, the public is invited to attend a free lecture given by Dr. Goldsmith, “Total Joint Replacement Awareness,” Feb. 11, from 6 – 8 p.m., at Courtyard by Marriott, Blumberg Room, 3725 Harden Blvd., Lakeland.  Registration is required.  Additional lectures will be given in the Plant City area in the upcoming months. To sign up, go to BayCareEvents.org.

About South Florida Baptist Hospital

Since 1953, South Florida Baptist Hospital has served Plant City and surrounding areas as a not-for-profit community hospital.  The progressive, 147-bed acute care facility offers a full range of diagnostic, rehabilitative, surgical, therapeutic and women’s services, including obstetrics.  South Florida Baptist Hospital is part of the BayCare Health System, a family of health care providers consisting of the 14 leading not-for-profit hospitals in the Tampa Bay region.

About BayCare Health System

BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 14 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care.

# # #