December 7, 2015

John T. Mather Memorial Hospital now offers a high-precision, robotic-assisted partial knee replacement procedure as an alternative to total knee replacement for patients with early to mid-stage osteoarthritis that is generally limited to one portion of the knee.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that results in wearing and eventual loss of cartilage. The partial knee procedure removes the damaged portion of the knee and replaces it with an implant, sparing ligaments that are vital for knee stability and preserving healthy bone and cartilage.

Mather uses NavioTM, a high-precision, robotic-assisted partial knee replacement system. Patients may experience less pain, lower risk of complications and quicker rehabilitation than those who have a total knee replacement. The procedure may also involve smaller incisions than with a total knee replacement.

"Using the Navio system allows me to visualize my patient’s anatomy before I even begin to remove bone," said Michael Fracchia, MD, Director of Orthopedics for Mather Hospital.

"Robotic-controlled smart instrumentation like the NavioTM allows us to very precisely resurface our patient’s knees for partial knee replacements," said orthopedic surgeon Brian McGinley, MD. "This precision has led to improved implant alignment, and we expect prolonged excellent patient outcomes."

NavioTM provides robotic assistance though an advanced computer program that relays precise information about the knee to a hand-held robotic tool that assists the surgeon during the procedure. The tool aids the surgeon in removing damaged surfaces, balancing the knee joint and positioning the implant with great precision.

For more information on the NavioTM partial knee procedure contact Maryann Goodman, RN, Orthopedic Coordinator, at 631-476-2838.

John T. Mather Memorial Hospital is an accredited 248-bed, non-profit community teaching hospital dedicated to providing a wide spectrum of high quality healthcare services to Suffolk County residents, showing compassion and respect and treating each patient in the manner we would wish for our loved ones. Mather has earned the prestigious Magnet® recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), which recognizes healthcare organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. Mather also has received eight consecutive top "A" ratings from The Leapfrog Group for patient safety, the only New York State hospital to achieve that distinction and one of only 133 hospitals nationwide to receive an A score in each of the twice yearly rating periods.