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SALT LAKE CITY -- The latest technology for a joint replacement has arrived in Salt Lake City. An orthopedic surgeon performed the first knee replacement with the new robotic system last week.

More than 21 million people in the U.S. suffer from knee osteoarthritis. -American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

The patient who received the cutting-edge surgery is Jim Thornhill.

"[I] got up and started to walk. It was pretty remarkable," Thornhill told KSL News Wednesday.

Thornhill is walking the halls at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center 48 hours after knee-replacement surgery. The 73-year-old avid golfer is eager to get a lot more mileage out of it.

"It was becoming more painful as the days were going on, and weeks," Thornhill said. "So it was getting to the point where I knew I had to have something done. I had no choice."

Traditional Knee Surgery vs. MAKOplasty Traditional Knee Replacement MAKOplasty Average Hospital Stay 3-7 days (inpatient only) 1 - 3 days (inpatient/outpatient) Average Incision Length 8-10 inches 4-6 inches Preserved Tissues None, damaged and healthy bone/tissues are replaced Healthy bone, soft tissues and ligaments are preserved Average Recovery Period Normal daily activities within 6-8 weeks Most light activities: within 3-6 weeks Following Surgery Possible swelling: 3-6 months Possible swelling: several weeks Salt Lake Regional Medical Center

That pain altered his life. He was wary of collapsing on the knee and says he altered his swing in his beloved game of golf.

Two days ago, at the Center for Precision Joint Replacement, Dr. Jeremy McCandless gave Thornhill the state's first knee replacement using the MAKO Rio robot.

"It's a very natural-feeling movement when you get used to it," McCandless said.

He says the precision of the robot means less pain medication and quicker recovery for the patient.

"Everyone I do, I have walk the day of surgery. And you can't say he has no pain, because he has pain; but it's how far and how much pain medication. And Jim is just blowing everyone else away," McCandless said.

With the robot, the doctor creates a three-dimensional surgery plan ahead of time, and then goes into the operating room and executes that plan.

"The robot is a tool that we use in surgery," McCandless said. "We're in surgery with the tool, but the robot knows what we want to do and doesn't let us make a bad move."

The Center for Precision Joint Replacement was Hofmann's brainchild. Soon they will also perform hip replacements.

"A robot takes you to the next level," Hofmann said. "There's nobody that is as good and precise as something that can be done by a computer or something that can be done by a robot."

As he left the hospital with his wife, Thornhill was eager to hit the links again.

"Now I'm very confident that I'll be able to go right back and adjust my swing and shoot a better score," he said.

E-mail: jboal@ksl.com

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