Hospital successfully completes hip replacement surgery using robotic technology

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - Dr. Eddie Cooper and his surgical team at NEA Baptist are the first in Northeast Arkansas to use Mako SmartRobotics for hip replacement surgery.

“One of the unique things about this system is that we take a 3D CT scan of the socket, so we know exactly the patient’s anatomy is,” said NEA Baptist Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Eddie Cooper.

The scan helps Cooper figure out precisely what kind of implant is required and adjust it to a patient’s range of movement needs.

“We can see if your hip is going to be stable throughout your normal activities,” Cooper said. “We can also determine how much bone to take based on that so that you have minimal bone resection.”

His team performed the first surgery using this technology to close out 2024.

“When we did that first case, of course, we had planned it out, we had looked at the simulation on the computer, and with the Mako Robotic technology, we were able to put the socket in exactly the place we had planned,” Cooper said.

Planning happened before Cooper and his team stepped into the operating room.

“The team was prepped, and they were trained by the Mako staff, so they knew exactly what their task was,” Cooper said. “We were confident that it was going to be perfect, and I was able to use my normal approach to the hip.”

That planning not only relieved stress on the medical staff, Cooper said it also reduced the patient’s loss of bone during the procedure and maximized their return to function.

“There’s no way that you can be as precise as this robotic technology can be and so we’re excited to be able to deliver that,” Cooper said.

This technology can also be used for knee replacement surgery. Dr. Cooper said about 60% of all joint surgeries are done with the help of robotic technology.

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