SAHZU completes a very unique surgery Tuesday July 28, where a new member in the operating room catches everyone's attention – a robotic system. With the artificial joint precisely placed into its location, the Mako SmartRobotics, the first robotic system assisting joint replacement surgery in Zhejiang and the star in this surgery, secures another success since its recent arrival at SAHZU Orthopedics. 

The patient is a 75-year-old male who has been experiencing discomfort and pain in his hips for the past two years. For him, the only way out of his disturbed life is to have the hip replacement surgery. But the patient's 95 kg weight and high body fat ratio demand more accurate surgical techniques, representing a challenge to the surgery team. Luckily, the robotic system brought hope to the patient. 

China currently has 178 million population that ages 60 and above. This figure, still rapidly growing and expected to reach 450 million by 2050, also increases the incidence of age-associated diseases such as osteoarthritis. "Artificial joint replacement is the most effective method to handle late-stage osteoarthritis", says Dr. WU Lidong, vice chair of SAHZU Orthopedics and director of joint surgery. "At our department, we perform over 3000 hip or knee replacement surgeries every year. We have rich experience. But Mako could further improve the efficacy of these surgeries and perfect our skills." 

Joint replacement surgeries have strict requirements for the length of the joint and the angle and depth of the implantation. In contrast to traditional joint replacement where doctors rely on his own observation and experience to evaluate and perform, Mako SmartRobotics builds a 3D CT-based surgical plan that enables surgeons to see all 3D anatomical data, including the position, angle, size, and bone coverage of the prostheses. Thus, the surgical plan is able to help surgeons improve the accuracy of the implantation, so as to decrease the incidence of joint dislocation and loosening of the protheses, and avoid unequal leg length, all caused by lack of accuracy during the replacement.