DULUTH — Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center’s “Meet the Robots” event Tuesday provided a hands-on demonstration of its robotic surgical tools. Essentia's surgeons showcased devices including the Monarch, da Vinci, Mazor and Mako systems.
Meet Mazor X Essentia Health-St. Mary’s was the third site in Minnesota to acquire the Mazor device after it became available three years ago. Dr.
Anthony Burrows, a neurosurgeon at Essentia, explained how the Mazor X is used to perform minimally invasive spine surgeries. It is often used to treat degenerative disc diseases, scoliosis, herniated discs and more. ADVERTISEMENT “We now perform more of these surgeries than anyone else in Minnesota,” Burrows said.
He anticipates the hospital will perform approximately 300 surgeries with the Mazor this year. “Much like any AI or other robotic system, it’s guided by a human. This makes my job easier, but it doesn’t replace what I do,” Burrows said.
Ben Foelker, Mazor area manager with Minneapolis-based Medtronic, said there are about 350 of the machines nationwide. “This is relatively new technology,” he said. Meet Mako Essentia orthopedic surgeon Dr.
Anne Normand demonstrated the Stryker Mako robot used to assist with joint replacement surgery for knees and hips. “The use of the Mako robot allows us to determine where we cut the bone to provide the best balance for placement for a knee joint so patients get mobility, range of motion and strength back,” Normand.