HAVING always been fit and active doing aerobic exercise, weekly park runs and couch-to-5K, little did Heather Cronin know that at some point it would result in her having two robotic hips, just three months apart, with RoboDoc Nadim Aslam.

Heather said: “RoboDoc was an obvious choice for me after being highly recommended for sports injuries. Also he treated my son Fred following a rowing injury he sustained while trialling for Team GB."

From Heather’s first visit to Mr Aslam at Worcestershire Knee and Hip Clinic, Worcester, she knew she had made a smart choice and RoboDoc recommended two new hip replacements.

Mako robotic-arm assisted surgery is the “gold-standard” of joint replacement surgery so just a few weeks later Heather booked in for her first robotic hip replacement.

Two weeks post-op Heather made very good progress, walking comfortably and her pain had improved substantially, ditching the crutches quickly, and she said her mobility and range was better than before she had the hip joint problems.  

Heather was on pain relief for 10 days and was walking around with one crutch after just two weeks.

Four weeks later, Heather started planning for her second Mako robotic-arm assisted hip replacement.

Heather returned three months later for her second robotic joint replacement and was RoboDoc’s 200th patient.

She is now totally pain-free and said she doesn’t feel like she has had anything done with no symptoms at all. 

Heather said: “I am so fortunate to have Mr Aslam as my surgeon and he is in such close proximity to my location and is so talented."

Heather is now looking forward to going back on her bike and swimming soon. She wants to enjoy her new “pain-free” life.

Medical company Stryker has worked with surgeons to develop initiative products to be utilised in the field of orthopaedics. 

Mako robotic-arm assisted technology can be used for total hip and total knee replacements. 

Mako technology provides a specific CT-based 3D model of people's unique anatomy and assists in focusing on removal of diseased bone, helping preserve healthy bone and accurate positioning and precision placement of the implant, allowing real-time adjustments to their plan during surgery if needed. 

During the surgery RoboDoc guides the robotic-arm within the pre-defined boundary, so that only damaged bone is removed and the implant is aligned with pinpoint precision.

Its advantages include less pain than traditional hip or knee replacement surgery, more accurate than traditional hip or knee replacement surgery, less blood loss, less muscle and tissue trauma, faster recovery, shorter hospital stay, reduced hip or knee dislocation risk, okay to cross legs, okay to lie on either side, no wedge between legs necessary, more rapid recovery to full function, more rapid return to driving, can often walk the day of surgery and reduced requirement for crutches.

All surgery carries risks and these will be discussed at consultation prior to surgery.

Clinical studies show Mako can help to reduce certain risks, including more accurate alignment of hip implants based on the surgical plan, a reduced risk of blood loss and less likelihood of hip dislocation.

Anyone experiencing  hip or knee pain due to a degenerative condition such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis is welcome to book a consultation via nadim.aslam@spirehealthcare.com, wkhc.co.uk or 01905 362003.