Robot Assisted Total Knee Replacement Surgery Performed at Lokmanya Hospital, Pune.
Pune, July 3: The first ever Robotic assisted Total knee replacement surgery in India was successfully performed at Lokmanya Hospitals, Pune, using Blue Belt Technologies’ Navio Robotic System, a proven technology in the US. This follows the first ever Robotic assisted Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty in India, performed by Dr. Narendra Vaidya at Lokmanya Hospitals in March 2017.
Today’s Robotic Total Knee Replacement’s live webcast was watched by over 400 doctors in Western Maharashtra.
“This state-of-the- art technology enables the surgeon to replace the knee joint, with precision, preserving the natural knee structure. After 100+ successful Robotic assisted Unicompartmental knee surgeries, we are now proud to launch the Robotic assisted Total Knee Replacement which can be helpful to most of the patients suffering from terminal stage arthritis” said Dr. Narendra Vaidya, Managing Director and Chief Joint Replacement Surgeon, Lokmanya Group of Hospitals, Pune. The surgery was performed in the presence of Dr. Vivek Neginhal from Scott Orthopedic Center, USA, a leading global expert in this field.
Knee osteoarthritis not only causes pain and disability, but also takes a huge toll on the entire family and the society at large. Beyond certain stage (stage II), medicines, physiotherapy and other arthroscopic interventions are not useful in the treatment of arthritis and such patients require total knee replacement as a definitive treatment. Total Knee Replacement is a time tested and proven method to treat terminal arthritis but involves prolonged hospitalization and physiotherapy. However, Robotic assisted surgery offers the patient a huge advantage of fastened recovery, early discharge and minimal pain & blood loss. It is extremely satisfying for the patients since it preserves all the natural structures of the joint.
Robotic Arm assisted knee surgery brings in almost 100% precision in prosthesis placement, which is of paramount importance in longevity (life) of the prosthesis. Also patients treated with this technology can get better movement, including sitting cross legged and squatting and have a very natural feel of the knee joint, as all the ligaments are preserved. Lokmanya, the largest Orthopedic focused chain of hospitals in Western India, being one of the leader in Joint Replacement Surgery, has been honoured to become the first hospital outside USA to launch this technology for the benefit of thousands of arthritic patients. Salient Features of Robotic Assisted Knee Replacement:
- Precision in surgery
- Preserves natural knee structure of bone, ligament, knee cap
- Rapid recovery
- Minimal pain
- Minimal blood loss
The survival of Implant and post-operative benefits to the patient after a Total Knee Replacement depends upon the quality of prosthesis, placement of prosthesis and its alignment. This new technique of Robotic Total Knee Replacement has given the surgeon tools to:
- Map the diseased cartilage
- Prepare a 3-Dimensional virtual replica of the knee joint on the computer screen on which the prosthesis is virtually placed and aligned.
- Final execution of surgery by Precise placement of the implant as per the 3Dimensional plan.
This completely eliminates human error to achieve perfect accuracy and alignment of implant thus enhancing the life of prosthesis.
Dr.Narendra Vaidya, Managing Director & Chief Joint Replacement Surgeon, Lokmanya Hospitals, said “It is a proud moment for us to launch robotic assisted total knee replacement at Lokmanya hospitals since we have always been concerned for patient’s mobility and their quality of Life”. He further added, “The treatment process with Robotics is simplified and in the end,cost effective to the patient. It will set a new benchmarks in near future, and we are proud of being the initiators for this technology in India. Stress free and patient oriented medical practice has been our preface for launching robotics in India.”
Key points of the surgery
– Same cost as that of the non-robotic total knee replacement surgery.
– No age restrictions. If the patient is fully fit, the robotic surgery can be carried out irrespective of age.
– More precise and accurate as compared to the non-robotic surgery.
– Same day mobility and discharge for the patient.
– Less overall rehabilitation costs due to less post-surgery physiotherapy and reduced hospital stay.
– Cost of the surgery ranges between Rs. 1.5-3 lacs depending on the severity of the knee damage.
