TMC PULSE

September 2017

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t m c » p u l s e | s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7 37 T H E PA R K LA N E L uxury Apartments www.Theparklane.com Corporate Units Avaliable For 3 Month+ Leases Medical Stays Visiting Academic and Medical Professionals On Site Dog Park Shuttle to all Major Hospitals in the Texas Medical Center Electric Vehicle Charging Stations On-Site Storage Included Assigned Garage Parking No Water or Garbage Bills 24hr. Valet & Concierge Service Pets Accepted Minutes from Texas Medical Center Sophisticated Surveillance System Discount to Texas Medical Center Employees NEW! 1701 Hermann Dr. I 713.526.VIEW Both furnished and unfurnished corporate units available! in 2008, and for hip replacements in 2010. He is one of the few surgeons in the Houston area now using the robot for total knee replacements. Freedhand, who has performed more than 100 total knee replacement surgeries with the robot, sees his patients achieving milestones more quickly than they would with manual surgery. "The robot is able to make bone cuts accurately, and we can measure the gaps between the femoral component and the tibia component to balance the knee," Freedhand said. "By using this technology, I think we will improve the outcomes for our total knee replacement patients." Before surgery, the Mako software system can take a CT scan and turn it into a 3-D model that allows Freedhand to pre-size the knee implant and tinker around with the positioning. "There are no 'a-ha' moments with the Mako," Freedhand said. "With the manual technique, you can narrow it down plus or minus one size, but with the robotic planning, you always know the size, and it won't change. It will be accurate every time. … We can figure out the size and position without even touching the patient or getting into the knee." The Mako robot doesn't actually perform the surgery. Freedhand plans the surgery and then guides the robotic arm to remove diseased cartilage and bone. middle of the leg, but in reality, the surgery removes the worn out covering of the bone in the joint and treats it by attaching the prosthesis, which is shaped like a normal joint, Freedhand said. During the operation, the surgeon can very pre- cisely measure the cuts and the distance between the bones to help balance the knee ligaments, which is critically important to the function of the knee. "We are looking at the patient's knee with our eyes, but then we are also looking at computer screens for the right angles and range of motion to make adjust- ments for the best outcome," Freedhand said. "When we are happy with the range and balance, we make cuts with the robotic arm." Following surgery, Freedhand has observed better range of motion and sometimes less physical therapy to help align and balance the knee. The delivery of health care is both an art and a sci- ence, he said, and the Mako robot is helping improve the patient experience. "It's a really exciting time to be in orthopedics," Freedhand said. "I encourage my residents and fellows to train on this. We don't want to be stagnant, but have an eye out for anything offering benefits for patients." Freedhand checks the position of the implants during surgery. Then he implants a few prosthetic components: a femoral piece on the end of the thigh bone, another on top of the tibia, and another piece fits on the knee cap. Some patients think the term "replacement" actually means removing a large amount of the bone in the

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