The Mako robot is terrific but it still has to be operated by a human being. My surgeon uses the Mako robot for total hip replacements. Mine has been pain free and I was waiting and waiting until my surgeon felt that the bones had grown enough for me to resume athletic activities. Now seven months out and I have been on the golf course twice.

Even more important, IMHO, than using the robot is using a surgeon who has done many operations with the same approach and equipment. You don't want to be the surgeon's trial patient. For example, my surgeon has done more than 4,000 total hip replacements using the Superpath methodology (which, BTW, he invented).