Robotic Technology at Watsonville Community Hospital

WATSONVILLE, Calif. – Yolanda Celis was surprised when her orthopedic surgeon, Kris Okumu, MD, told her he would be assisted by robotic technology when he performed her total hip replacement surgery at Watsonville Community Hospital.

“Dr. Okumu showed me beforehand how robotic technology would help him align my new hip joint perfectly,” said the lifelong Watsonville resident and grandmother who, prior to her surgery, had suffered for a year from excruciating pain in her right hip joint. “I never dreamed they had that kind of technology here in this community. I could barely walk or put pressure on my right leg before the operation. I was in so much pain that I didn’t think anyone could help me. Today, the constant stabbing pain is completely gone. Thanks to Dr. Okumu and robotics, I feel wonderful!”

Robotic-arm assisted technology for total joint replacement surgery was a life-changing success for both Celis and Socorro Martinez Cordova, whose left knee joint was replaced by orthopedic surgeon, Faisal Mirza, MD, in February – with assistance from the hospital’s Mako SmartRobotics™ System. Martinez Cordova, also a grandmother, is so pleased with the results she is going to have Dr. Mirza replace her right knee joint as well. “I had severe pain in my knee for about five years,” she said. “After the surgery, the pain is gone. I’m very grateful to Dr. Mirza and everybody at the hospital who treated me so well. And I’m grateful we have the robotic technology available in Watsonville.”

Celis and Martinez Cordova are among dozens of patients who have had total hip or total knee replacement surgery performed by Dr. Okumu or Dr. Mirza, MD at Watsonville Community Hospital using the facility’s Mako System. Watsonville Community Hospital is the only hospital in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties to offer this advanced robotic technology that assists specially trained orthopedic surgeons like Dr. Okumu and Dr. Mirza in performing total hip and knee replacement surgery. The hospital acquired the Mako in July 2020, but its deployment was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Mako system allows surgeons to make a patient-specific surgical plan before the procedure. A CT scan of the patient’s knee or hip joint is taken to develop a 3-D virtual model of the joint. Using the model, the surgeon can evaluate the patient’s bone structure, disease severity, joint alignment, and the health of surrounding bone and tissue to help determine the optimal size, placement, and alignment of the implant. In the operating room, Mako provides real-time data throughout the procedure, allowing the surgeon to continuously assess the movement and tension of the new joint and readjust the surgical plan if needed. The surgeon performs the operation by guiding Mako’s robotic arm, which is fitted with a surgical cutting tool, to precisely remove diseased bone and cartilage. The implant is then placed into the knee or hip joint.

The Mako system offers several advantages to assist surgeons, including providing numerical data that enables more precise cuts and a better fit for the implant, according to Dr. Mirza. “With the Mako, you can convert what you feel when you move the knee or hip to test for range of motion and instability into a numerical value,” he explained. “This allows for more precise balancing of the knee or hip, which traditionally is done solely by feel. And with the Mako, the smooth precision of the cuts we make is second to none.”

“In the case of hip replacement, for example, getting leg length correct is critical,” explained Dr. Okumu. “A surgeon using the traditional method of surgery can get pretty close, but with robotics, you can get within a millimeter or less. The same goes for knee replacements when you’re making cuts in the bone to fit the implant. Mako technology allows for a more accurate cut, so the implant fits exactly how you want it to fit.”

Anecdotal evidence from their own practices indicates that patients who undergo total joint replacement surgery using the Mako may experience less post-operative pain and heal quicker, according to the two surgeons. “With Mako, you only use one cutting tool to prepare the hip socket for the artificial socket that holds the implant, as opposed to the traditional way where you move multiple instruments in and out of the operative area,” Dr. Okumu said. “There’s less chance of damage to surrounding tissue, less chance of bleeding, and the procedure moves along faster. That’s good for patients because they require less anesthesia, experience less bleeding, and, theoretically, can recover sooner because there’s less trauma to tissue.”

Drs. Mirza and Okumu are members of Coastal Health Partners, a multi-specialty medical group serving Santa Cruz County and surrounding communities. Coastal Health Partners is affiliated with Watsonville Community Hospital. Dr. Mirza is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in robotic-arm assisted total joint replacement, shoulder, and sports medicine. He is board-certified in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine. Dr. Okumu is an orthopedic/spine surgeon specializing in minimally invasive spine surgery and robotic-arm assisted total joint replacement surgery. He is the only surgeon in the U.S. certified to perform both robotic-assisted spine surgery and robotic-arm assisted total joint replacement surgery.

About Coastal Health Partners

Coastal Health Partners is a multi-specialty medical group serving Santa Cruz County and its surrounding communities. The group’s physician members are committed to providing comprehensive patient-centered healthcare in a healing environment. Their services are frequently selected for the value of the care they provide. In addition, the Coastal Health Partners physicians are respected for their integrity and admired for their commitment to their patients. For more information about Coastal Health Partners, go to www.mycoastalhealthpartners.net or call (831) 728-4227.

About Watsonville Community Hospital

Watsonville Community Hospital is a 106-bed full-service acute care hospital serving the city of Watsonville and the surrounding culturally diverse tri-county area along California’s Central Coast. The hospital offers a wide range of quality medical and surgical services including cardiac care, diagnostic imaging, emergency services, general surgery, maternity services, orthopedics, pediatrics, rehabilitation services, robotic surgery, urology, vascular surgery, women’s health services, and wound care. For more information, go to www.watsonvillehospital.com.