Mansfield Hospital's New Mako Robot Expands Joint Surgery Options with Advanced Technology

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When Jaimi Vore realized her leg pain was negatively impacting her quality of life, she decided it was time to get a professional opinion. At 46 years old, she enjoys staying active with her two children and husband. Vore has had leg troubles since she was a teenager, but she was able to keep her problems at bay for most of her adult life by attending psychical therapy.  

After a consultation with Matthew Bernhard, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, Vore agreed to a patellofemoral replacement with the help of a Mako orthopedic robot. Dr. Bernhard has been operating since 1995 but began using Mako robots at Mansfield Hospital in 2018.  

"Just like anything else with technology and cars and airplanes and any technology, it advances," Dr. Bernhard told Zach Tuggle at Mansfield News Journal. "The earlier robots are a lot different than the later robots”. 

With any technological advancement comes some skepticism, but Dr. Bernhard explains that the robots are not left alone and cannot do anything without human input. The robots are there to assist the doctor, not perform the procedure.  

"There's no doubt that machines just have more accuracy," Dr. Bernhard said. "It’s very similar to an airplane: a pilot can fly an airplane, but autopilots have been shown to be safer and they can do things that humans can't. That eliminates the human error.”. 

"I felt like they prepared me really, really well," Vore said. "They were really clear that this was not a marathon, not a quick fix where you're going to go home tomorrow and go back to life. You have to mentally prepare for a recovery”. 

While the robot was unexpected to Vore, she said it made her feel better knowing that it would provide such precise assistance. The surgery went smoothly, lasting about an hour, and Vore was able to complete a physical therapy session the same day.  

Now three months post-op, Vore said, "It feels way better than it did a month ago. I'm able to do the things that caused a lot of pain without pain”. She is already planning her next summer adventure with her kids, as she plans to get back to doing the things she loves without the pain.