News

Contact: Sarah Bello

Innovative robotic technology allows surgeons to personalize total knee, total hip and partial knee replacement procedures to each patient

CMH is pleased to be bringing the Mako SmartRobotics™ system, the market-leading total joint robotic surgery technology, to Astoria. CMH is the first hospital on the Oregon or Washington Coasts to have the system, with the closest nearby units in the Olympia, Wash., or Portland metro areas.

The Mako system was first launched in 2006. Thanks to its advanced technology, surgeons from the CMH-OHSU Health Orthopedic Clinic will have a more comprehensive view of a patient’s anatomy. As a result, there is less room for error.

To be operated on with the assistance of the Mako, patients must undergo a CT scan prior to their surgery. Combining the CT results with the Mako’s software provides the surgeon with a 3D view of the patient’s musculoskeletal structure, helping them know exactly what to expect when they enter the operating room.

“A 2D x-ray is the standard imaging required for a typical manual total joint procedure,” says Douglas Abbott, MD, CMH orthopedic surgeon. “With the CT scan programmed into the Mako, we get a 3D view, which helps guide us to place the replacement parts with increased precision. Alignment can be better matched to the patient, with a goal of quicker recovery and better outcomes.”

CMH’s first patients undergoing Mako total joint procedures will have their operations on August 1.

New technology enhances BuildCMH Expansion Project plans
The BuildCMH Expansion Project, breaking ground in late 2024, will be augmented with the progressive Mako surgical technology, as well as more space for surgical services.

Plans for the hospital’s expansion include an additional operating room, bringing CMH to a total of four major ORs, with the possibility and space to add a fifth to accommodate future surgical growth. In addition, there will be another OR reserved solely for C-sections, a dedicated interventional radiology procedure space, and two endoscopy suites, doubling current capacity for endo procedures.

The new patient and operating rooms will be noticeably larger in square footage, able to support the most modern technologies. Pre- and post-surgical rooms will double to 16 available, adding to efficiency and allowing providers to see more patients.

“Our data shows that patients are still leaving the area for major surgeries that can be done here, close to home,” says Chris Laman, vice president of strategy. “With the increase of capacity within our surgical specialties, we’ll be able to serve more patients, more quickly, with the same high-quality health care our patients have come to expect from the providers and caregivers at CMH.”

To find out more about the Mako and robotic total joint surgery at CMH, visit columbiamemorial.org/mako.