The Advantages of Robotic-assisted knee replacement surgery

Dr.Aashish Chaudhry, 3 mins read

After the American FDA approved robotic surgery in 2000, India approved and adopted robotics for performing surgery in 2006; ever since then, robotic surgery has branched out its reach to several medical fields and specialties, including orthopaedics. Over the years robotic knee replacement technology has evolved greatly and with the use of robotics, we now have specific information; for every individual patient, and we can adjust the positioning of the prosthetics much more precisely for the best results. The robot is an operating system with 1-millimeter accuracy: it is an extremely precise way to work. This has enabled robotic knee replacement surgery to overtake conventional knee replacement as the preferred choice of leading Orthopaedics across the world.

The benefits of robotics lie in precision, in every field they are applied, and knee replacement is no different. By using robotic technology for repairing damaged bone surfaces; knee surgeons can perform surgeries with incredible accuracy, and provide better safety and success rates; it also allows for a complete and exact custom fit for much greater comfort and improved longevity. The implants, with their nearly perfect orientation for all sizes, also give the patient a much more natural fit and feel.

The use of robotics for total knee replacement surgery allows surgeons to access and assess all patient details with which a dummy knee is created to help the surgeon plan the actual surgery, which will provide pseudo-results or the outcomes of the surgery before the actual surgery itself; this can allow patients to feel calm and relaxed in the certainty of their eventual surgery. During robotic total knee replacement, surgeons can also use computed tomography (CT) scans to build virtual models of the patient's knee, and using that model as a guide, surgeons can use the robotic arm to place and embed the new components of the new knee precisely: near perfectly.

In case you’re suffering from or have been diagnosed with the degenerative wear-and-tear condition called osteoarthritis, there are many justified reasons you should be considering robotic-assisted knee replacement surgery as a viable option:

High-accuracy pre-surgery planning – Robotic-assisted knee replacement surgery, also called NAVIOplasty™, allows Surgeons to pre-plan the bone cuts, Implant size according to your unique anatomy, before going ahead with the actual surgical process.

Greater precision – Robotic-assisted knee replacement surgery will help your orthopaedic surgeon selectively target just the diseased portions of a joint area. The robotic arm oversees or controls certain aspects of the procedure itself; it doesn’t allow surgeons to deviate or move away from the already specified dimensions set before the surgery. This means the healthy bone and tissue which were anyway surrounding the damaged portion of the knee are well preserved and continue to perform their functions. The knee implant can also be placed with more precision, which results in lesser friction and wear and tear for the new joint and far fewer complications which will require future revision surgeries. The post-operation stay in the hospital is shorter as well.

A more natural feeling for the implant – Just because a robot-assisted surgeon performs your surgery; won’t make you feel like a robotic man or woman. Owing to the technique’s immensely accurate alignment and implant positioning, patients experience a much more natural-feeling joint replacement that replicates natural movement, like normal knee movements during exercise. The system’s state-of-the-art 3D software and robotic arm let your orthopaedic surgeon design and plan the procedure well in advance and just in case; they can also make all necessary adjustments in real-time with the use of video imaging to provide a more precise alignment than is possible with a conventional non-robotic partial knee replacement.

Faster recovery – Robotic-assisted knee replacement is less invasive than conventional knee replacement with more accurate and smaller incisions, and much lesser disturbance to the surrounding bones and tissue. As a result of this, patients feel less postoperative stress, and pain and even heal faster, enabling them to resume their normal activities much faster than was possible before. Most patients who choose to go in for robotic-assisted knee replacement are discharged from the hospital in just over a day or two.

Not only that but studies and research confirm that robotic-assisted knee replacement patients receive more successful surgical outcomes and satisfaction.  The artificial implants placed with the use of this method are less likely to loosen up or fail prematurely or cause other issues with other surrounding joint components.

Minimally invasive robotic-assisted knee surgery is the safest, most advanced surgical system available at the moment, and if you are suffering from osteoarthritis, this revolutionary technology could be the answer for you.

Consult some of India’s leading orthopaedic surgeons and doctors at Aakash Healthcare, a leading super specialty hospital with advanced state-of-the-art technology for all knee-related procedures.  

Also Read: What is Knee Replacement Surgery?