Celebrating a milestone for patient-centered technology
Completing 500 total joint replacements using robotic technology may not sound like a large number but for Adam Goodyear, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at OrthoKansas, it’s the culmination of two and a half years of hard, rewarding work.
“This personal milestone means a lot to me as it indicates that patients in and around Lawrence as well as across the state trust our total joint team with their care,” Dr. Goodyear explained. “One of my goals has been to develop a comprehensive total joint program and together with Dr. James Huston and Dr. Richard Wendt, I have confidence that we have achieved that goal. None of this would be possible without the support of LMH Health, generous community members, and most of all our total joint team that includes countless individuals. This is as much a testament to their dedication to our patients as anything else.”
Adam Goodyear, MD
Nearly 900 total knee and hip replacements have been performed by orthopedic surgeons at OrthoKansas using the MAKO robotic arm, an instrument used to perform partial and total knee replacements, as well as total hip replacements. Dr. Goodyear said the MAKO has been proven to facilitate a shorter hospital stay, typically less pain and quicker return to function.
“The MAKO system can be more precise than traditional surgical techniques because it can create a 3-D model of each patient’s joint,” he said. “Using the system, physicians create a personalized surgical plan. The robotic arm allows surgeons to work within the parameters created and use it to assist in placing new joints. MAKO also allows us to perform both knee and hip replacements, which is something that other robotic surgical systems don’t do. Our patients receive the advanced care they deserve with the use of this technology.”
Technology made possible through donor support
LMH Health has two MAKO robots to serve patients – one at the Main Campus and another at the West Campus – allowing for outpatient joint replacement surgery at the Lawrence Surgery Center. This technology was made possible in part by generous donor gifts to the LMH Health Foundation.
In early 2020, Dana and Sue Anderson made a $1 million challenge gift to the LMH Health Foundation to support a second heart cath lab, the MAKO robot and two new da Vinci robotic surgical systems to replace the da Vinci system that has been used at LMH Health since 2013 by general surgeons, urologists and obstetricians/gynecologists. Construction on the cath lab recovery room is beginning soon and we’re excited to announce that the second cath lab will be complete in early 2024.
“We are so grateful to Sue and Dana — and to others who stepped up to contribute to this patient-centered initiative,” said Rebecca Smith, executive director of LMH Health Foundation and vice president of strategic communication at LMH Health. “Sadly, we lost Sue to leukemia in late February 2021, but her philanthropic spirit continues to inspire us all.”
Exceptional care close to home
LMH Health and OrthoKansas have the clinicians, technology and facilities to provide healthcare that’s not only exceptional for a community hospital—it’s among the best anywhere. Patients benefit from our home at the LMH Health West Campus, with access to convenient, collaborative and innovative care all under one roof. Our multidisciplinary approach gives us the ability to treat most orthopedic injuries and conditions in house, closer to where our patients live and play.
“When our community members partner with us, we all benefit,” said Russ Johnson, LMH Health president and CEO. “Because of donor support, our hospital continues to offer the best in patient care."
