Dr. William Doran reaches 2,000th Mako surgery milestone

When Melinda Huffman, then a surgical nurse at TidalHealth Nanticoke, chose William Doran, DO, FAAOS, to perform her right hip replacement, she was already familiar with his work from seeing it firsthand in the operating room. 

It was 2021, and although Dr. Doran was relatively new to Mako robotic-arm assisted hip replacement, he had already earned a reputation as an excellent surgeon.  

“He had been doing regular anterior hip replacements, just like the knees before the robots,” Huffman said. “Then Stryker came out with the robot adjusted to hips that went by a CT scan, and I thought, ‘Man that’s pretty neat.’ I told him he should get about 25 of them under his belt, and then he could replace mine.” 

Huffman’s right hip replacement was Dr. Doran’s 27th Mako procedure. While she’d rather not have had to repeat the procedure again on her left side in retirement five years later, there was no question whom she trusted to perform the surgery. 

“I had such great results with the first one,” Huffman said. “It feels perfectly natural now, so, of course, I went back to him.” 

That’s how, 1,973 procedures later, Huffman became Dr. Doran’s 2,000th Mako-assisted hip and knee surgery patient.  

“Regardless, it's super exciting,” said Dr. Doran, who cares for patients at the TidalHealth Peninsula Orthopaedic Institute in Seaford and Millsboro. “But to have it be Melinda, who is a nurse our team worked with for a long time, who worked at the hospital for 45 years, and who is super well known to all of us, just made it that much more special.” 

Mako robotic-assisted total hip replacement involves the use of the Mako robotic system, which allows surgeons to perform hip replacements with greater accuracy. A CT scan creates a 3D model of the joint, and the model is used to develop a personalized surgical plan tailored to the person’s anatomy. Then, the haptic technology assists the surgeon to execute that plan with precision. 

“I’m able to show patients what that aspect of surgery looks like," Dr. Doran said. “I'll have my model in front of them, and I’ll explain. Most people really enjoy having that opportunity to just interact and visualize what’s going to be done to them.” 

The robot is like GPS for surgery that provides real-time guidance and feedback to a surgeon throughout the procedure. The advantage of the robotic-assisted surgery is that it provides what Dr. Doran calls “reproduceable precision.” 

“I go through all the risks of surgery with patients,” Dr. Doran said. “And when I'm done explaining, they tend to be in a mood where they’re like, ‘All right, let's just get this done.’ Most by that point really are at a poor quality of life and are looking for a better outcome.” 

It was arthritis that was the catalyst for both of Huffman’s hip replacements. After the first one became bone-on-bone and she had exhausted other treatments including shots for the pain, surgery was an easy choice — and choosing the surgeon was easier. 

“She knows her stuff and we worked together for nearly a decade. She got to watch me evolve from being a brand-new young surgeon to where I am today,” Dr. Doran said. “I know she’s got confidence. Otherwise, she wouldn't bring her family members or herself for that matter.” 

There was one small hiccup when she was ready to get the second hip done. Dr. Doran was recovering from his own surgery to repair a wrist ligament. She had the option of going to someone else, but she opted to wait for his recovery. She is more than happy with that choice. 

“Her first one went well, and this one went even better,” Dr. Doran said. “She came in a week post-op kind of dancing using her cane, and I took a little video on my phone. It was fun to have it. It’s exciting to see anyone do well, but particularly her, and to have her be a part of the program that she helped build over time is special.” 

For her part, Huffman was determined to have another good outcome. She approached her rehab with conviction and was back at the gym working out before she even finished with rehab. 

There were cakes to make, grandchildren’s baseball and softball games to attend, volunteering needed at the church, and her flowers and garden that needed attention. 

It's that type of dedication that doesn’t surprise Dr. Doran, who affectionately called her an “overachiever.” But he also knows she’s a testament to what the surgery can do for someone who isn’t ready to let pain stop them from living. 

Dr. Doran expects to finish the year having performed more than 600 robotic-assisted surgeries. He has completed more robotic surgeries than anyone on Delmarva, and his volume continues to grow. 

“When I hit 1,000, I thought, ‘Well, it will be a long time to 2,000,’” Doran said. “But it didn’t take very long to get there in comparison to the first. I think the next 1,000 will go even faster.”