Video courtesy of 7NEWS Sunshine Coast, Seven Network. Reproduced with permission.
What the segment covers.
The report looks at how robotic assistance is used in shoulder replacement. It shows the planning stage, where a three-dimensional model built from a pre-operative CT scan is used to set the position and depth of the implant before the operation begins, and the theatre setup at Buderim Private Hospital where that plan is carried out.
The segment also follows a patient through the rehabilitation that comes afterwards, which is the part of the process that does most of the work. The technology assists with accuracy during the operation. The result still depends on the condition being correctly diagnosed, the operation being the right one for that shoulder, and the rehabilitation being completed.
The technology.
Dr Coory was the first surgeon on the Sunshine Coast to perform Mako robotic-assisted total shoulder replacement, and has now performed more than 100 of these procedures. The system builds its plan from a CT scan, then uses a surgeon-controlled robotic arm to guide preparation of the bone so the implant can be positioned to match the individual patient's anatomy.
Robotic assistance is a tool rather than a treatment in its own right. Whether it suits a particular shoulder depends on the diagnosis, the quality of the remaining bone and the state of the rotator cuff, which is why that decision follows assessment and imaging.
Read more.
Further detail on the procedure and on where Dr Coory consults: