A new knee so she moves more free

MercyOne Robotic Surgery  MercyOne Orthopedics Care  MercyOne knee pain assessment

Mako Robot celebrates first anniversary at MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center

For years, Susan Lund relied on her knees to support her on three daily walks with her energetic labrador Beau.  She got a lot of exercise, but for the last couple of years, she relied on cortisone shots to keep her arthritic knees moving with comfort.

Eventually, however, the shots no longer helped relieve the ache from “bone-on-bone" knees. So, Susan, an active volunteer who likes to keep moving, had a left total knee replacement surgery performed by MercyOne surgeon Jason Stanford, DO, and his “assistant” the Mako Robot.

In its first year, Mako robotic technology has been used for nearly 180 knee replacements and 40 hip replacements performed by both Dr. Stanford and Christopher Eagan, DO, at MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center.  

Susan, 77, of Waterloo, Iowa, was happy to be among those patients with her surgery in October 2024. In fact, she hopes to have her right knee replaced in the fall.

“Dr. Stanford was excellent, and my recovery has been pretty easy. It went so well I’m planning to have my right knee done later this year,” she said.

What to make of Mako

Mako SmartRobotics ™ is a robotic surgical arm to perform minimally invasive knee and hip replacement surgeries. The surgeon stays in full control of the robotic arm, using it as a guide during surgery.

For patients like Susan Lund, the benefits can lead to:

• Better surgical outcomes
• More precision and less disruption to healthy tissue
• A short stay in the hospital
• Faster recovery times due to the precise placement of the implant during joint replacement surgery.

By using CT scan information, the Mako system can create 3-D images of the joint and help surgeons plan for the surgery. During the surgery, surgeons can use the Mako to prepare the bone, introduce the implant and ensure it fits well. It’s a tool for more accurate incisions and alignment.

Susan wasn’t worried a bit when presented with the idea of robotic-assisted surgery. “Robotic surgery is becoming so much more common. I heard it was more precise and offered a good recovery, so I was all for Dr. Stanford using the ‘robot’ to assist him.”

Young at heart

Susan’s dog, Beau, passed away a year ago at age 15. While Beau was her walking buddy, her motivation during recovery from knee replacement has been her passion for helping animals at Cedar Bend Humane Society and through P.E.T.  P.A.L.S., an organization she has volunteered with for 40 years.

She also looks forward to walking her new and smaller dog, Ellie, once the weather gets warmer and taking her to visit care facilities.

Her recovery from knee replacement surgery has been pain-free and very positive. Susan found that using cold compression therapy and attending physical therapy for several weeks after surgery really helped. And she was also helped by the positive support received and her many questions answered by Dr. Stanford and the friendly staff at MercyOne Cedar Falls Orthopedic Care.  

“It was a very, very good experience at MercyOne,” she concluded. “It was amazing.  I didn’t have a minute of pain, and the care overall was just 100 percent!”