Ask An Expert: Conway Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Center

 

Conway Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center (COSMC) brings innovation and expertise in orthopedics and sports medicine. Voted as one of AY’s Best Orthopedic Groups for 2021, COSMC has provided comprehensive orthopedic care since 1988.  

 The center is anchored by the experience and expertise of orthopedic surgeons Scott Smith, MD; Grant Bennett, MD; Jay Howell, MD; J. Tod Ghormley, MD; James Head, MD; and Robert McCarron, MD, who provide comprehensive orthopedic care for north central, Central Arkansas and the River Valley. The center offers a wide range of services, including specialized care for the hand, upper extremity, foot and ankle; minimally invasive surgeries of the knee and hand; total hip, knee and shoulder replacements; and sports medicine services. 

 In addition, COSMC orthopedic surgeons Grant Bennett, MD, J. Tod Ghormley, MD, and Scott Smith, MD, use the Mako robotic-arm assisted surgery to provide an innovative way for patients to receive knee/hip replacements.  

 

What is Mako robotic-arm assisted surgery? 

Mako is an approach to joint replacement that offers the potential for more precise, customized positioning of implants for each patient. Mako technology can be used to perform hip and knee replacement surgeries that are less invasive and more precise than traditional methods.   

 

Does the robot perform the surgery or is it my surgeon? 

The Mako technology is a tool that the surgeon uses to perform the procedure. Your surgeon is always in complete control of the robot’s arms.  

 

How does Mako work? 

A CT scan is uploaded into the Mako platform and a three-dimensional model of the knee or hip is used to create a pre-plan and assist the surgeon with the procedure. The surgeon can then proceed with or adjust that plan once in the operating room by controlling the robotic arm that helps execute the procedure with greater precision and accuracy. 

 

What is the difference between Mako and traditional surgery? 

Mako enables the surgeon to make cuts that are often so precise that less bone is removed, and there is decreased trauma to the soft tissue surrounding the knee or hip. For many patients, this can result in less time on crutches or a walker for the patient.  

 

550 Club Lane, Conway • 501-329-1510 • www.conwayregional.org