Hip replacement surgery has risen to another level, health care providers say, showing that it is now possible to have the procedure done by a robot. The MAKOplasty is the newest technology used in operating rooms for hip replacement surgery, according to the American Hip Institute. It is designed for inserting hip implants in total joint replacement procedures. There are several advantages in using the MAKOplasty technology which may help patients have better surgical experience as they are able to get back to doing their normal activities. Problems created by the wrong placement of hip implants may be avoided.

Hip implant failure may be a result of many factors in which misalignment of the prostheses and leg length discrepancy is part of the problem. The dawn of robotic surgical systems made it possible for surgeons to perform operations with precision and less errors. After performing several knee replacement operations using the robotic surgical system, Dr. Michael Jaquith became excited with the possibilities of doing the same procedure on hips, according to an article form the Herald Tribune. Dr. Jaquith shares that the robotic system's precision is something that is hard to achieve even for the most skilled orthopedic surgeon. He pointed out that there are factors that may influence the correct positioning of the artificial cup during surgery and the MAKOplasty helps in filling in the gaps.

The correct placement of the artificial cup and the precise leg length is important in the making the hip implant last longer. It is difficult to acquire the correct placement for the artificial cup especially since the bony prominences are not accurate landmarks for placement, Dr. Jacquith shares. In the MAKOplasty's case, there are 40 navigational points in the pelvic area that are taken into consideration when choosing an area for cup placement. The length of the operated leg may also be measured to fit the other leg, so as to prevent the disproportion of the legs after the surgery.

The 30-minute extra time may be shortened in future operations when the surgeon is already adept in using the technology. There are several critics of the technology though. Questions have been raised whether this robotic assistant may help solve the rising number of hip implant failure which even resulted to the Smith & Nephew hip implant litigation. Patients may need to think things through before undergoing this major operation. They are advised to evaluate the risks and not only the benefits of having their diseased hip replaced.