We are excited to announce the long-anticipated arrival of Mako SmartRobotics^TM to St Vincent’s Private Hospital Werribee. Without the generous support of the community and the Cilmi family this would not have been possible. It's thanks to donations from the community and from a select group of generous Werribee philanthropists, that we have been able to bring the latest orthopaedic technology, to St Vincent’s Private Hospital Werribee.

"The staff and doctors at St Vincent’s Private Hospital Werribee are excited with the arrival of Mako SmartRobotics^TM and continuing to build on accessible healthcare in the West." said Rachael Cassar, Acting General Manager, St Vincent’s Private Hospital Werribee. 

Pictured below: St Vincent's Private Hospital Werribee theatre team preparing with Mako SmartRobotics^TM.

This week we had our first orthopaedic case using Mako SmartRobotics^TM with A/Prof Siva Chandrasekaran, St Vincent’s Private Hospital Werribee, Orthopaedic Surgeon, alongside our team 

who had already undergone specialised training to achieve improved outcomes for our patients¹. 

"It's exciting to offer patients in the West of Melbourne advanced knee replacement technology through St Vincent's acquirement of Mako SmartRobotics^TM knee platform. We completed our first case yesterday in 45 minutes with great success. It is a privilege to work at St Vincent's Private Hospital Werribee, which is at the forefront of delivering the best outcomes for patients" said A/Prof Siva Chandrasekaran.

Mako SmartRobotics^TM combines 3D CT-based planning and AccuStop haptic technology, enabling the surgeon to Know More and Cut Less^5,6,7,8. This allows for more accurate implant positioning^9,10, reduced post-operative pain^2,11, a shorter stay in hospital^2,11,12, and improved physical function^2,4,13,14. Mako SmartRobotics^TM can improve patient outcomes, as demonstrated in patients who have received total knee, partial knee, and total hip replacement surgeries^1,2,3,4

Pictured below: A/Prof Siva Chandrasekaran, St Vincent’s Private Hospital Werribee, Orthopaedic Surgeon with first patient, Grant, using Mako SmartRobotics^TM.

We would particularly like to thank the Cilmi family whose donations meant Werribee now has the latest in orthopaedic robotic technology to provide the best care for patients. Family is Alex Cilmi’s number one priority. His wife, Lucy and five children are everything to him. He attributes his success in life and in business to his family. “Without my family, I wouldn’t be where I am today. My family have supported me through the highs and lows, quite simply, they make me a better person.”

Family and supporting his community motivated Alex and his family to sponsor a number of local sporting clubs and most recently, to make a significant donation to St Vincent’s Private Hospital Werribee. Their generous donation has gone towards enabling the purchase of Mako SmartRobotics^TM. This revolutionary technology enables orthopaedic surgeons to better tailor hip and knee replacements to their patients^9,10, involves less blood loss² and reduces recovery time after surgery^2,11,12. 

Pictured below: Cilmi family at St Vincent's Private Hosptial's Winter Ball.

“We want to help the hospital to grow. Mako SmartRobotics^TM will not only enable St Vincent’s Werribee to specialise in joint replacement procedures. It will also attract more specialists to work at the Hospital.” Alex has dedicated the donation to his parents. “I wanted to recognise their contribution to the community.” A plaque commemorating Salvatore and Grazia Cilmi is displayed in the Hospital’s reception area.   

“I hope more local businesses jump on board to support the hospital. The community will benefit, and it will ease the pressure on the public hospitals. The ultimate goal is to attract the best talent to the Werribee so St Vincent’s can offer top care to support everyone who will need it in the future,” Alex said. 

St Vincent’s Foundation Victoria CEO, Sue Parkes said, “We cannot thank the Cilmi family and the Wyndham community enough for their generosity. It is their belief and commitment to the health of their community that brought the latest technology to Werribee. It is so moving to see such strong community spirit alive and well and to witness the truly great things it can achieve.” 

To find out more about Mako SmartRobotics^TM, visit https://www.stryker.com/us/en/joint-replacement/systems/Mako_SmartRobotics_Overview.html

References:

1. Illgen, R, Bukowski, B, Abiola, R, Anderson, P, Chughtai, M, Khlopas, A, Mont, M. Robotic-assisted total hip arthroplasty: Outcomes at minimum two year follow up. Surgical Technology International. 2017 July 25; 30:365-372.
2. Kayani B, Konan S, Tahmassebi J, Pietrzak JRT, Haddad FS. Robotic-arm assisted total knee arthroplasty is associated with improved early functional recovery and reduced time to hospital discharge compared with conventional jig-based total knee arthroplasty: a prospective cohort study. The Bone and Joint Journal. 2018;100-B:930-7.
3. Kleeblad LJ, Borus T, Coon T, Dounchis J, Nguyen J, Pearle A. Midterm survivorship and patient satisfaction of robotic-arm assisted medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: a multicenter study. The Journal of Arthroplasty. 2018:1-8.
4. Perets I, Walsh JP, Close MR, Mu BH, Yuen LC, Domb BG. Robot-assisted total hip arthroplasty: clinical outcomes and complication rate. Int J Med Robot. 2018 Aug;14(4):e1912.
5. Suarez-Ahedo, C; Gui, C; Martin, T; Chandrasekaran, S; Domb, B. Robotic arm assisted total hip arthoplasty results in smaller acetabular cup size in relation to the femoral head size: A Matched-Pair Controlled Study. Hip Int. 2017; 27 (2): 147-152.
6. Haddad, F.S, et al. Iatrogenic Bone and Soft Tissue Trauma in Robotic-Arm Assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty Compared With Conventional Jig-Based Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Prospective Cohort Study and Validation of a New Classification System. J Arthroplasty. 2018 Aug;33(8):2496-2501. Epub 2018 Mar 27.
7. Hozack, W, Chen, A, Khlopas, A, Mahoney, O, Mont, M, Murray, T, Orozco, F, Higuera Rueda, C, Stearns, K. Multicenter Analysis of Outcomes after Robotic-Arm Assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty. American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Annual Meeting. Las Vegas, NV. March 12-16, 2019.
8. Banks, Scott A, PhD. Haptic Robotics Enable a Systems Approach to Design of a Minimally Invasive Modular Knee Arthroplasty. Am J Orthop. 2009;38(2 suppl):23-27. February 2009.
9. Elson L, Dounchis J, Illgen R, Marchand R, et al. Precision of acetabular cup placement in robotic integrated total hip arthoplasty. Hip Int 2015; 25(6): 531-536.
10. Hampp, E.L., Chughtai, M., Scholl, L.Y., Sodhi, N., Bhowmik-Stoker, M., Jacofsky, D.J. and Mont, M.A., 2019. Robotic-arm assisted total knee arthroplasty demonstrated greater accuracy and precision to plan compared with manual techniques. The journal of knee surgery, 32(03), pp.239-250.
11. Clark et al. Australian Experience. Mako Robotic Total Knee. Presented at: Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) 77th Annual Scientific Meeting; October 8-12, 2017; Adelaide, Australia.
12. Archer A, Salem HS, Coppolecchia A, Mont MA. Lengths of Stay and Discharge Dispositions after Total Knee Arthroplasty: A  Comparison of Robotic-Assisted and Manual Techniques. J Knee Surg. 2021 Oct 5. Epub ahead of print.
13. Cool, C.L., Jacofsky, D.J., Seeger, K.A., Sodhi, N. and Mont, M.A.,  2019.  A 90-day  episode-of-care  cost  analysis  of  robotic-arm assisted total knee arthroplasty. Journal of comparative effectiveness research, (0).
14. Marchand, R.C., Sodhi, N., Khlopas, A., Sultan, A.A., Harwin, S.F., Malkani, A.L. and Mont, M.A., 2017. Patient satisfaction outcomes after robotic arm-assisted total knee arthroplasty: a short-term evaluation. The journal of knee surgery, 30(09), pp.849-853.