BERLN, Vt. (WCAX) – Orthopedic surgeons at Central Vermont Medical Center are getting a hand in the operating room.
It’s a machine revolutionizing joint surgery.
“I think we have here in Vermont a very active patient population who, even though they have developed some arthritis in one joint or another — or more than one sometimes — really want to keep doing the things they love,” said Dr. Sara Graves, a an orthopedic surgeon at CVMC.
Now the Berlin hospital has a new option that is expected to streamline minimally invasive surgeries, giving surgeons a more precise plan before they even make a cut. “We can end up with very precise cuts tailored to the patient’s anatomy,” Graves said.
It’s called a Mako SmartRobotics system. The arm of the robot is guided by the surgeon, increasing accuracy and precision and resulting in less pain post-procedure and quicker recovery times.
Graves says a CAT scan will be performed prior to surgery that allows for more comprehensive pre-planning, setting parameters for where the machine can and cannot make a cut. “There’s only so much you can see during the surgery of what the patient’s anatomy is, especially when we get into the 3D models. So, it will allow me to make sure I am fully executing the plan that we have given it,” she said.
The robotic procedure will be presented to patients as an option. They can still choose to go the traditional surgical route. “We can use our clinical judgment in surgery and if something… we’re not acting right, we can always just go to the regular plan,” Graves said.
As the technology rolls out, doctors expect surgeries to take a little bit longer as they get used to the new procedure, but they say it will eventually streamline the process for a quicker overall experience from the OR to recovery.
“Central Vermont Medical Center is incredibly pleased to be able to support this advanced technology coming into our community,” said Anna Noonan, CVMC’s president and COO. “It’s absolutely the right investment to make.”
CVMC, which is affiliated with the UVM Health Network, is the third hospital to add this technology to its operating rooms. Brattleboro Memorial Hospital was the first in 2018, and as of 2024, the UVM Medical Center has two.
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