TUALATIN, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center in Tualatin, Ore. announces that it is the first hospital in Oregon to perform MAKOplasty®, a new, minimally invasive partial knee resurfacing procedure used to treat early to mid-stage osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. MAKOplasty, powered by the RIO Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic system, offers a more precise and consistent result for partial knee resurfacing.
The procedure is the latest addition to Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center’s award-winning orthopedic services offered through the Meridian Park Total Joint Center. Legacy Health expands its expertise in MAKOplasty, having offered the robotically assisted procedure at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center in Vancouver, Wash., for the past year.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and a leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The opportunity for early intervention with a procedure that preserves more of the natural knee is ideal for many patients who, otherwise, live an active lifestyle. In MAKOplasty, surgeons replace only the damaged area of the knee (joint) with a custom implant and without compromising the healthy bone and tissue surrounding it. With the surgeon-guided robot in the MAKOplasty procedure, surgeons are able to more accurately align that portion of the knee for more natural knee movement after surgery.
MAKOplasty patients may experience a shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery and a smaller incision as compared to total knee replacement, in addition to minimal blood loss, quicker rehabilitation and a smaller scar. Another advantage for many is a return to an active lifestyle within weeks of the procedure compared to a total knee replacement, which can take several months of rehabilitation.
Esteban “Steve” Watson, a 54-year-old airline mechanic from Gladstone, Ore., is convinced that this procedure is the way to go. He made an informed decision to undergo this procedure because, after much research, he says, “the technology finally got up to what I wanted it to be.” He had a previous knee surgery six years ago that took six months of recovery and marvels at how quickly he is recovering from his partial knee resurfacing. After Dr. Kevin Murphy, orthopedic surgeon at Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center, performed his MAKOplasty procedure on December 21, Watson was able to drive to his post-operative appointment seven days later and will be ready to go back to work in three or four weeks after the surgery.
The system provides the surgeon a pre-surgical plan that details the technique for bone preparation and customized implant positioning using a CT scan of the patient’s knee. During the procedure, the system creates a three-dimensional live-action, virtual view of the patient’s bone surface and correlates the image to the pre-programmed surgical plan. As the surgeon uses the robotic arm, its tactile, acoustic and visual feedback limits the bone preparation to the diseased areas and provides for more optimal implant positioning and placement for each individual patient.
Orthopedic surgeons who will perform the minimally invasive knee resurfacing procedure at Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center include:
- James Ballard, M.D., is a board certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in Adult Joint Reconstruction with Oregon Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Clinic LLP in Tualatin and Oregon City, Ore.
- Kevin Murphy, M.D., is a board certified orthopedic surgeon with fellowship training in sports medicine, practicing at Sports Medicine Oregon in Tigard, Ore.
- Scott Grewe, M.D., is a board certified orthopedic surgeon with Orthopedics Northwest in Tigard, Ore., experienced and fellowship trained in knee, shoulder, sports medicine and arthroscopy.
- Christopher Nanson, M.D., is a board certified orthopedic surgeon with fellowship training in adult reconstructive surgery, practicing at Hope Orthopedics in Salem, Ore.
Please call the Meridian Park Total Joint Center Referral Line at 503-692-2411 for more information or visit www.legacyhealth.org/mako.
About Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center
Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center, part of Legacy Health, opened in 1973 and has continually expanded to meet the needs of the fast-growing southern metropolitan area. Legacy Meridian Park offers excellent medical care with a personal touch.
Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center provides a full range of inpatient and outpatient services, with a reputation for extraordinary service to patients and families including: 24-hour emergency care; state-of-the-art intensive care and critical care services; Legacy Breast Health Center; cancer treatment; Family Birth Center; imaging services; interventional cardiology; interventional radiology; Legacy Laboratory Services; Neurosurgery Clinic, LLC; Pediatric Development and Rehabilitation; Pelvic Floor Program; Stroke Program; Total Joint Center and Spine Center.
Legacy Health, Oregon’s only locally owned nonprofit healthcare organization, includes Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, The Children’s Hospital Legacy Emanuel, Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center, Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center, Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center, Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center, Legacy Laboratory Services, Legacy Research, Legacy Medical Group and CareMark/Managed HealthCare Northwest PPO.