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feedback and assurance provided by the robot. "I have increased confidence in the positioning of the component," he says. "After a procedure is complete, I am comfortable that I have matched the plan well. Also, I can check my work after surgery with the surface mapping technique and see that the stability and alignment are correct, giving me assurance that the prosthesis will not wear unevenly." Comparisons to Total Knee Replacement Just as the indications for partial knee resurfacing differ from those f or t ot a l k ne e re pl a cement , t he procedures a re quite different. At St. Cha rles Hospit a l, b o t h g i v e p a t i e n t s h i g h l y satisfactory outcomes. Patients who are candidates for total knee replacement primarily include those with osteoarthritis in all three compart- ments of the knee. Patients having revisions of previous knee surgeries should also undergo total knee replace- ment. According to MAKO Surgical, only about 30 percent of people with osteoar- thritis of the k nee a re ca ndidates for MAKOplasty. However, MAKOplasty offers many advantages over total knee replacement. Hospital stays and recovery times are shorter with MAKOplasty. In fact, people typically return to work two to three weeks after MAKOplasty, compared to six to 12 weeks after total knee replace- ment. Also, risk of surgical complications is lower, and patients experience less postoperative pain. "With total knee replacement, it takes a while for patients to experience pain relief," Dr. McGinley says. "However, with MAKOplasty, patients feel better almost immediately because we can get Kevin Nissen, physician assistant, performs the registration and calibration of the robot to ensure precision. Dr. Petraco, (L) lavages the joint with the assistance of an OR tech, in preparation for the knee implant. "St. Charles Hospital is the only hospital on Long Island to offer MAKOplasty. Hospital administration is willing to support advanced orthopedic technology as part of our mission and as an orthopedic center of excellence. We have a very busy orthopedic service, performing approximately 500 joint replacements each year." — Douglas Petraco, MD, Chair of Orthopedic Surgery at St. Charles Hospital rid of the grinding surfaces of the bone with only a small procedure." Incisions are smaller than for total knee replacement, Dr. Petraco says. Even better, a partial knee resurfacing has the same "feel" as the original joint, he adds. "One of the best aspects of partial knee resurfacing, according to patients, is that M D N E W S . CO M ■ MD NEWS Long Island | 9