St George Private Hospital specialists have performed the hospital’s first robotic total knee replacement surgery.
Using robotic arm-assisted technology called Stryker MAKO, surgeons are able to examine a patient’s bone anatomy using three-dimensional view.
It is one of three robotic services available for joint replacement within Sydney’s private hospital sector, and follows the introduction of robotic partial knee replacement surgery that was performed at Kogarah last year.
The highly advanced robotic arm enables the surgeon to accurately define, prepare and execute the positioning of the knee implant, based on individual patient CT scans.
Orthopaedic specialist George Kirsh, who performed the first procedure at the hospital, says it can lead to quicker patient recovery and mobility, and less pain.
“We have been performing this procedure at the hospital for over a year and have seen the quick recovery associated with it,” he said.
“This is a huge advance.
“Our first cases have been very encouraging with perfect x-rays and operating times not much more than non-assisted replacement procedures.
“More importantly the patients have been very happy and hopefully will remain that way.
“Conventional knee replacement yields 80-90 per cent fully satisfied patients so it is hoped that robotic knee replacement will increase this figure closer to the desired 100 per cent.”
