Mako Robotic Hip Replacement | Dr. Shayne Kelly, DO

Total hip replacement has been one of the most successful operations in all of medicine for decades. Mako robotic-arm assisted surgery makes it better — with imaging that maps your specific anatomy before the first incision, robotic guidance that keeps every cut within planned tolerance, and outcomes that consistently outperform traditional technique in the data. If you’re considering hip replacement in the Tri-Cities, here is what you need to know about the Mako system and how Dr. Kelly uses it.

Why the Hip Wears Out

The hip is a ball-and-socket joint. The ball (femoral head) sits in the socket (acetabulum), with a layer of smooth cartilage allowing frictionless motion. When that cartilage wears down — from osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, osteonecrosis, or post-traumatic changes — bone begins to grind against bone. The result: pain with activity, pain at rest, stiffness, and a progressive loss of function that limits walking, stairs, and sleep.

Most hip replacement candidates have tried conservative measures — physical therapy, anti-inflammatories, activity modification, cortisone or viscosupplementation injections — and have reached a point where pain is limiting their daily life. When that threshold is crossed, hip replacement becomes a quality-of-life intervention, not just a last resort.

What Is Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery?

Mako is Stryker’s robotic-arm assisted platform for total hip replacement. It is not a robot that operates independently. It is a precisely controlled tool that Dr. Kelly guides, with the robotic arm enforcing the pre-planned boundaries so that each cut and each component lands exactly where the plan says it should.

The system works in three phases:

Pre-operative CT scan: A CT of your hip is used to build a three-dimensional model of your specific anatomy. No two hips are alike. Dr. Kelly plans the procedure in this 3D environment — selecting implant size, position, and orientation customized to you — before the day of surgery.
Intraoperative mapping: On the day of surgery, the Mako system maps your hip in real time and aligns it to the pre-operative plan. Any differences between the CT model and the actual anatomy are accounted for before bone is cut.
Robotic-arm guidance: Dr. Kelly performs the bone preparation using a robotic arm that limits cutting to the pre-planned zone. The arm does not move outside that boundary. The result is component placement that is accurate to within about one millimeter of the plan.

Why Accuracy Matters So Much in Hip Replacement

The acetabular cup (socket component) must be positioned within a specific range of angles to allow full hip motion without impingement or instability. A cup placed even a few degrees outside that range increases the risk of dislocation, premature wear, and pain that persists after surgery.

Traditional hip replacement relies on the surgeon’s technique, experience, and intraoperative feel to achieve that position. Mako eliminates the variability. Every case benefits from the same precision — the same millimeter-level accuracy — regardless of the technical complexity of the anatomy.

Recovery After Mako Hip Replacement

Most patients go home the same day or the following morning. The recovery progression:

Day 1–3: Walking with a walker, weight-bearing as tolerated. Hip precautions as directed by Dr. Kelly based on the approach used.
Week 2–4: Transitioning from walker to cane, increasing walking distance. Most patients are off narcotic pain medication by week 2.
Week 4–6: Driving (left hip typically sooner; right hip depends on whether automatic transmission), returning to desk work.
Month 2–3: Most daily activities restored. Physical therapy transitions to strengthening.
Month 3–6: Return to recreational activities including golf, hiking, swimming, and cycling.

Patients who are in good general health and have strong bone stock typically recover faster. Preoperative physical therapy (“prehab”) to strengthen the hip muscles before surgery shortens recovery after it.

Are You a Candidate?

Hip replacement is considered when:

Hip arthritis pain significantly limits walking, daily activities, or quality of life
Pain is present at rest or at night
Conservative treatments (physical therapy, injections, medication) have not provided adequate relief
X-rays confirm joint space loss consistent with end-stage arthritis

Age alone is not a disqualifier. Dr. Kelly has performed Mako hip replacement on active patients in their 40s and 50s with severe arthritis, as well as patients in their 80s. The question is not age — it is whether the hip is causing functional limitation that surgery can reliably correct.

Why Dr. Kelly for Mako Hip Replacement

Dr. Shayne Kelly, DO is fellowship-trained in orthopedic sports medicine and performs Mako robotic total hip replacement at Tri-City Orthopedics. His sports medicine background shapes how he approaches joint replacement: he understands what it takes for an active person to return to the activities they care about, and he builds that expectation into the plan from the first appointment. For patients in Kennewick, Richland, Pasco, and across Eastern Washington, Mako hip replacement with Dr. Kelly means D1-level care without leaving the region.

Learn more about the Mako system at Stryker.com.

This article is for general educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It does not replace a professional evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment, and reading it does not create a doctor-patient relationship. For guidance about your specific condition, talk with Dr. Kelly or a qualified healthcare provider. If you think you have a medical emergency, call 911.

If your hip pain has reached the point where you’re considering joint replacement, you’re probably asking one question: will I get my life back? The answer, for most patients, is yes — and Mako robotic-arm assisted technology is making that yes more predictable than ever.

Dr. Shayne Kelly, DO performs Mako robotic total hip replacement at Tri-City Orthopedics in Kennewick, Washington. His patients come from across the Tri-Cities — Richland, Pasco, Kennewick — and from as far away as Walla Walla, Yakima, Hermiston, and Pendleton.

What Is Mako Robotic Hip Replacement?

Mako is Stryker’s robotic arm-assisted surgical system. It doesn’t replace the surgeon — Dr. Kelly makes every decision and controls every move. What Mako adds is a level of precision that the human hand alone cannot consistently achieve.

Here’s how it works:

CT scan before surgery. A CT scan of your hip is taken weeks before the procedure. This creates a 3D model of your specific anatomy — your hip, not a generic hip.
Personalized pre-op plan. Dr. Kelly uses that 3D model to plan the exact size, position, and angle of your implant before you ever enter the operating room.
Robotic arm guidance in surgery. During surgery, the robotic arm keeps Dr. Kelly within the pre-planned boundaries. If the instrument drifts even slightly outside the virtual boundary, the arm resists — “haptic feedback.”
Real-time verification. Throughout the procedure, Mako tracks the position of your bones in real time.

The result: an implant that fits you specifically, placed where it was planned to go.

Why Does Accuracy Matter in Hip Replacement?

An implant placed even a few degrees outside the optimal range increases the risk of dislocation, leg length discrepancy, accelerated wear on the bearing surface, and reduced range of motion. Mako’s robotic guidance keeps implant placement within the target zone — consistently.

Who Is a Candidate for Mako Hip Replacement?

Dr. Kelly will discuss Mako with you if hip arthritis has significantly limited your daily activities, conservative treatments have stopped providing meaningful relief, hip pain is disrupting your sleep or work, and imaging confirms significant joint damage. There’s no age cutoff — Dr. Kelly sees active patients in their 50s who want to hike again and patients in their 80s who simply want to walk without pain.

What to Expect: From First Visit to Recovery

Consultation

Your first appointment includes a detailed exam, review of your imaging, and a conversation about your goals. If Mako total hip replacement is the right path, the next step is scheduling your CT scan.

Surgery Day

Most Mako hip replacements are performed under spinal anesthesia in 60–90 minutes. Most patients are up and walking — with assistance — within hours of surgery.

Hospital Stay

Most patients go home the same day or after one overnight stay. Enhanced recovery protocols mean less time in bed and faster return to independence.

Recovery Timeline

Week 1–2

Walking with a walker or cane, managing pain, wound care, light home exercises. Most patients manage stairs within the first week.

Week 3–6

Transitioning off the walker, starting formal physical therapy. Driving typically resumes around week 4–6.

Week 6–12

Most daily activities fully resumed. PT continues to rebuild strength and mobility. Many patients walk several miles per day by week 8.

3–6 Months

Return to recreational activities: hiking, cycling, golf, swimming. Hip replacement patients consistently rate this as one of the most life-changing procedures they’ve had.

Why Dr. Kelly for Robotic Hip Replacement?

Dr. Kelly trained in Mako robotic joint replacement during his fellowship at the University of Missouri, working alongside nationally recognized joint replacement surgeons. He has performed Mako total hip and knee replacement since returning to the Tri-Cities and joining Tri-City Orthopedics.

As a former All-State athlete and lifelong Eastern Washington resident, he understands what patients want: not just a hip that doesn’t hurt, but a hip that lets them do things. Learn more about Mako technology at Stryker’s official Mako page.

Mako Robotic Hip Replacement: Precision Surgery for Eastern Washington Patients