Eastwood Private Hospital performed its first Mako robotic-assisted shoulder replacement on Wednesday 14 October 2026. The operation was performed by orthopaedic shoulder and upper limb surgeon Dr Oscar Brumby-Rendell, assisted by Dr Luke Mooney, who has performed more than 800 Mako robotic hip and knee replacements.
The Mako system has been available for surgeons at Eastwood for hip and knee replacement procedures. Recent updates to the Mako 4 software, have enabled us to extend the technology to shoulder replacement procedures. It supports the same approach to reverse shoulder replacement of traditional surgery.
Before surgery, a CT scan of the patient’s shoulder is used to build a 3D model. Dr Brumby-Rendell plans the size, angle and position of the implant on that model. In theatre, the robotic arm guides preparation of the shoulder socket, and stops the instrument moving outside the planned boundary. The surgeon performs the operation; the robot is a tool that helps carry out the plan.
“This was one of the highlights of my surgical career, and a great team moment with our theatre nursing staff,” said Dr Brumby-Rendell. “Every shoulder is different. Planning each one in 3D, then using the robotic arm to follow that plan in theatre, gives us another level of control over implant position.”
Robotic assistance is currently used for reverse shoulder replacement, and is expected to expand to anatomic replacement and hemiarthroplasty in the future. Eastwood is also a teaching site for robotic-assisted joint replacement, with visiting international surgeons due from August 2027.
Patients can read more about Mako robotic shoulder replacement in Adelaide on Dr Brumby-Rendell’s website. A referral from a GP or specialist is needed for an appointment.
