Surgery En Pointe: Robotic-Assisted Knee Replacement Returns Laura to Ballet 

Delicate classical music floats through the room as 77-year-old Laura holds out her arms and lifts one slippered foot off the floor. She chose ballet class because she knows stability and posture are very important. “Ballet is a combination of physical therapy, exercise, music, grace and art,” she says.

Before Laura’s knee replacements, years of knee instability kept her from doing the things she loved. “The problem with my left knee wasn't so much that I had pain, but that it would lock,” she says. The uncertainty was challenging when it came to making the precise movements needed for activities like ballet.

Replacing your knee can sound intimidating. However, total knee replacement—also called total knee arthroplasty—is an incredibly effective procedure with a high success rate. More than 700,000 knee replacements are performed each year in the U.S., according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Advances in technology such as robotic-assisted knee replacement bring a new level of accuracy to the operating room. Today’s patients undergoing knee replacement are enjoying outcomes with less pain and faster recovery.

When Laura learned that Emory Healthcare’s orthopaedic surgeons use advanced robotic technology to replace knees, she was eager to do it. “I was very excited about getting the robotic knee replacement,” she says, joking, ”My grandsons are very impressed, also.”

Emory Healthcare offers robotic technology for joint replacements at three different hospitals: Emory Johns Creek Hospital, Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital and Emory University Orthopaedics & Spine Hospital.

"Robotic-assisted surgery adds precision and consistency to the operating room,” says Oren Goltzer, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon at Emory Johns Creek Hospital and assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine.

Ahead of surgery, CT scanning technology creates a 3D model of the patient’s knee, which allows surgeons to plan the ideal implant placement within millimeters. During the procedure—which takes about two hours—the surgeon removes damaged or diseased bone, replacing it with the new implant.

“For a knee replacement to be successful, you want the implants to fit the bone perfectly without being too big or too small. You want the knee to come fully flat but not hyperextend,” says Dr. Goltzer. The replacement knee should flex all the way back and be stable side to side, restoring a broad range of motion.

“What the robotic-assisted surgery allows us to do is plan exactly where to position these components before I make a single bone cut,” says Dr. Goltzer. “Then, the robotic arm will help me do the cuts perfectly and precisely. By the end of the procedure, essentially, we have a perfect knee replacement every time.”

People with knee pain or mobility issues due to osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or knee injuries should be evaluated by an orthopaedic specialist. They may provide a treatment plan based on rest, medication and therapy. If the damage is extensive, a total knee replacement may be the best option.

Total knee replacement is generally recommended for people over age 50, but can be performed on young people in special circumstances.

Robotic-assisted knee replacement surgery is an outpatient procedure, with most patients going home the same day. Three months after surgery, many patients are back to doing the physical activities they enjoy.  

Laura was pleased with the results of her first knee replacement surgery at Emory Johns Creek Hospital. “My Emory Healthcare team was just wonderful. It was a first-rate experience,” she says. After that, she was already looking ahead with confidence. “I'm going to have my second knee surgery soon, and then I will have two perfect knees.”

Dr. Goltzer believes robotic-assisted surgery helps take knee replacement to the next level. “Emory saw its value and invested in it. We've done more than 1,000 robotic-assisted knee surgeries at this hospital and continue to grow that number.”

In July 2024, Emory Johns Creek Hospital earned Advanced Certification for Knee and Hip Replacements from The Joint Commission. This accreditation underscores the hospital’s commitment to high standards of care, patient safety, and consistent, evidence-based practices throughout the joint replacement process.

Thanks to robotic-assisted knee replacement, Laura is excited for what’s next. “I don’t plan to slow down anytime soon,” she says.