Total knee/total hip replacement is a surgical procedure where a diseased or damaged joint is replaced with an artificial joint called an implant. Made of metal alloys and high-grade plastics, the implant is designed to mimic a normal, healthy knee or hip.
Mako Technology transforms how total and partial knee/hip replacement procedures are done by integrating 3D virtual modeling and robotic-arm precision into the process. It’s an innovative solution that has been helping knee/hip pain sufferers for more than a decade.
Care New England Department
of Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine
100 Butler Drive
Providence, RI 02906
P: (401) 593-1427
Surgeries performed at:
Kent Hospital
455 Toll Gate Road
Warwick, RI 02886
The first step is patient-specific surgical planning. Before surgery, a CT scan of your knee is taken to develop a 3D virtual model of your unique joint. Your doctor uses this model to evaluate your bone structure, disease severity, joint alignment, and even the surrounding bone and tissue, so they can determine the optimal size, placement, and alignment of your implant.
Throughout your procedure, Mako provides real-time data to your surgeon. This allows them to continuously assess the movement and tension of your new joint, and adjust your surgical plan if desired.
In the operating room, your surgeon guides Mako’s robotic arm to remove the arthritic bone and cartilage from the knee. A virtual boundary provides tactile resistance to help the surgeon stay within the boundaries defined in your surgical plan.
With the diseased bone gone, your implant is placed into the knee joint. Then it’s off to the recovery room to begin your journey to strengthen your new joint.
Prior to surgery, a CT scan of your hip joint is taken in order to generate a 3D virtual model of your unique anatomy. The 3D model helps your doctor see things he or she can’t typically see with an x-ray alone. This additional information helps your doctor determine the optimal size, placement and positioning of your implant.
Throughout your procedure, Mako provides real-time data to your surgeon. This allows them to continuously assess the movement and tension of your new joint, and adjust your surgical plan if desired.
In the operating room, your surgeon guides Mako’s robotic arm to remove the arthritic bone and cartilage from the hip. A virtual boundary provides tactile resistance to help the surgeon stay within the boundaries defined in your surgical plan.
As the surgeon prepares to place the implant into its final position, the robotic-arm guides the implant at the desired angle defined in the surgical plan. This helps ensure the placement and alignment of the implant are performed according to plan.
Although the recovery process varies for each patient, here’s what you might expect in the days following surgery.
1. Your orthopedic surgeon, nurses and physical therapist will closely monitor your condition and progress.
2. When you are medically stable, the physical therapist will recommend certain exercises for the affected joint.
3. To ease the discomfort the activity will initially cause, pain medication may be recommended by your doctor prior to therapy. If prescribed by your doctor, your pain medication will gradually be reduced, the IV will be removed, your diet will progress to solids and you will become increasingly mobile.
While age is an important factor in your health, age alone isn’t usually a reason not to have joint replacement surgery. Your doctor will be more interested in your overall health and will consider a variety of things, such as blood test results, physical strength, bone density, and diet and lifestyle, to determine whether joint replacement is right for you.
Dr. Thomas Barrett is a fellowship trained adult reconstructive surgeon. His medical practice is devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis, a disease that currently affects millions of people in the US. This includes first time and revision replacements of the hip and knee, including partial knee replacements. Dr. Barrett’s practice also involves care for fractures of the hip and knee and arthroscopy of the knee for the treatment of torn cartilage, and many other indications.
After completing his Orthopedic Residency at Albany Medical Center, Dr. Barrett was selected for an advanced joint reconstruction fellowship training at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Last year Dr. Barrett. participated in the surgical treatment of over 400 joint replacement patients in Rhode Island, many of which were complicated revisions.
Dr. Barrett has authored numerous publications and book chapters in several aspects of orthopedic surgery and has presented research nationally.
Board-certified in orthopedics and subspecialty certified in sports medicine by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons, Dr. Jonathan Gastel has been practicing in Rhode Island since 1999. As a specialist in sports medicine, he has served as the orthopedic sports medicine team physician for Division I Bryant University since 2001, and previously as the Rhode Island College team physician.
Dr. Gastel treats a variety of conditions that are both sports and non-sports-related involving the upper and lower extremities. A majority of these problems involve the knee and shoulder (e.g. ACL reconstruction, meniscus repair, knee replacement, rotator cuff repair, shoulder replacement, shoulder instability, etc). Dr. Gastel also treats a variety of injuries/conditions including the elbow, hip, and foot including tennis elbow, tendinitis, ankle sprains, and fractures.
Dr. Brandon Lentine is a board-certified, fellowship trained joint replacement surgeon. He takes pride in knowing his patients and helping them stay active. You might find him on the beach at sunrise when the surf is up. While keeping surgery as a last resort, he specializes in MAKO robotics, anterior hip replacement, partial knee replacement and “re-do” procedures where necessary.
Dr. Lentine is comfortable managing complex joint replacement challenges. His research is published in well-read medical journals and he has presented both nationally and internationally. He earned his MD degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, completed orthopedic surgery residency at University of Vermont Medical Center and sub-specialized in hip and knee arthritis at Boston Medical Center.
Dr. Shalvoy is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist and serves as the Executive Chief of Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine for Care New England. He earned a bachelor of science degree in biology summa cum laude from Boston College and a doctorate of medicine from New Jersey Medical School. He completed a residency in orthopedic surgery at Boston University Medical Center where he was chief resident in his last year and a fellowship in sports medicine at the Hughston Orthopedic Clinic in Columbus, Georgia.
Dr. Shalvoy is an Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University and a member of the editorial board of the American Journal of Sports Medicine. He specializes in computer navigated ACL reconstruction and sports-related knee ligament reconstructions, robotic-assisted knee replacements, rotator cuff surgery, and the treatment of throwing injuries.
Dr. Tartaglione is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with a strong background in general orthopedics and orthopedic trauma, as well as advanced fellowship training in foot and ankle orthopedic surgery. His interests include ankle replacement surgery, complex foot and ankle deformity correction, foot and ankle arthritis, sports related injuries, ankle arthroscopy, bunions, lesser toe deformities, fracture care, and lower extremity reconstruction including knee replacement surgery.
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