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For many years, robotic applied sciences have been altering medical procedures and well being take care of the higher. Now, superior robotic know-how has come to knee substitute surgical procedure. However what does this imply for you in case you want a knee substitute? What does this imply for orthopedic surgeons?
Knee replacements are already one of many most secure and most profitable surgical procedures, with low dangers of problems and quality-of-life enhancements that may final for a few years. Even nonetheless, it’s doable that robotic-assisted knee replacements could additional enhance affected person outcomes and satisfaction.
We spoke to Dr. Christine Pui, an orthopedic surgeon at TRIA, to be taught what robotic knee surgical procedure is, when it’s used and the doable advantages in comparison with conventional knee surgical procedure.
What’s a robotic knee substitute?
After we discuss “robotic” knee replacements, we’re referring to how the process is finished – not the kind of synthetic joint that’s implanted. In different phrases, you’ll not have a robotic knee joint after surgical procedure.
As a substitute, robotic knee substitute is a process that makes use of a robotic know-how to enhance accuracy and precision throughout knee substitute. At TRIA, we use the ROSA® Knee System, a robotic surgical assistant.
And, in case you’re questioning if the robotic performs the surgical procedure by itself, the reply isn’t any.
“The robotic assists me in performing the surgical procedure – it would not do the surgical procedure itself,” stated Dr. Pui.
Actually, the function of the robotic assistant is to supply surgeons with real-time data to verify the brand new joint is exactly positioned based mostly on the affected person’s distinctive anatomy. However whereas the robotic gives a information for larger precision, your physician nonetheless must be a talented surgeon. That’s why it’s so essential to work with an orthopedic surgeon who’s skilled in whole knee replacements.
Is robotic knee surgical procedure new?
Robotic know-how is not a brand new know-how. Actually, again in 2006, surgeons performing a partial knee substitute have been the primary to make use of robotic-arm-assisted know-how. Since then, hundreds of thousands of robotic-assisted procedures have been executed on totally different elements of the physique.
“They hold making refinements when it comes to the know-how,” Dr. Pui stated. “We’ve been ready for robotic know-how to get to the purpose the place it is smart for our sufferers – and now it has.”
“By investing on this know-how, we’re in a position to present another choice that’s not extensively obtainable inside different well being care methods,” she added.
What occurs throughout robotic-assisted knee substitute?
“Essentially, a robotic-assisted knee substitute is similar process as conventional knee surgical procedure,” Dr. Pui stated. “The one distinction is the know-how we use.”
Throughout all knee substitute surgical procedures, the broken bone and cartilage is faraway from the joint and kneecap earlier than a man-made joint – which is made from metallic alloys, high-grade plastics and polymers – is implanted.
Utilizing robotic know-how permits medical doctors to be extra exact and correct when making surgical bone cuts, releasing gentle tissue and positioning the implant. It is because medical doctors have extra data to work with.
Earlier than a knee substitute utilizing ROSA, X-rays of your knee are taken to get detailed details about your particular anatomy. These X-rays are used to plan out the process, together with one of the best areas for the surgical cuts and knee implant.
Then, through the process, ROSA makes use of cameras and optical lens monitoring to comply with the precise place of your leg.
“In case your leg strikes – even simply barely – the robotic adjusts in order that the surgical procedure is as exact and correct as doable,” stated Dr. Pui. “We are able to change the measure of the cuts by as little as one millimeter to attain precisely what we would like.”
Who’s a candidate for robotic knee surgical procedure?
For those who’re a candidate for a complete knee substitute, it’s probably {that a} robotic-assisted process is an possibility for you.
“Anyone can have a robotic knee surgical procedure,” stated. Dr. Pui. “But it surely’s particularly good for sufferers with difficult wants, trauma or prior surgical procedures to their knees. Surgical procedure in these conditions might be very tough, and I anticipate that the robotic can be very useful.”
Specifically, a robotic-assisted knee substitute could also be an ideal selection when you’ve got:
- Harm to the femur due to an harm
- Superior osteoarthritis on account of regular age-related modifications reminiscent of thinning cartilage
- Harm on or surrounding the knee
- Prior surgical procedures and {hardware} within the femur or tibia close to the knee
Is robotic surgical procedure higher for knee substitute?
It’s too early to say if robotic-assisted knee substitute surgical procedure delivers higher outcomes than conventional surgical strategies. However what we will say is that we count on robotic know-how to proceed to enhance.
“It’s type of the wave of the long run,” Dr. Pui stated. “The extra knowledge we get from performing robotic-assisted surgical procedures, the extra we’ll be capable to refine the process. And hopefully, affected person satisfaction ranges will proceed to enhance, too.”
We’ve touched on a number of of this stuff already, however right here’s what we all know thus far concerning the doable benefits of robotic knee surgical procedure:
Much less invasive surgical procedure
ROSA helps surgeons carry out knee replacements with larger surgical precision, which suggests the surgical procedure could disrupt much less bone and tissue. This additionally signifies that it might take you much less time to heal.
A greater implant match
Each individual’s knees are distinctive. Programs like ROSA enable a surgeon to tailor the knee substitute for every individual’s anatomy, which can end in a greater match and extra pure feeling.
“One factor ROSA does is accumulate quite a lot of knowledge which helps us gauge how the knee goes to operate,” stated Dr. Pui. “ROSA helps be certain the knee is an efficient match with good steadiness. This will hopefully assist the unreal knee really feel extra pure for the affected person.”
Shorter restoration course of
For each robotic-assisted knee substitute surgical procedure and conventional surgical procedure, you’ll want time to heal. You’ll additionally want bodily remedy that will help you regain energy and mobility. You may also take medicine for a pair weeks to assist handle ache when you get well.
With robotic-assisted surgical procedure, it’s doable that you’ll have a shorter restoration time. With the normal strategy, it takes about 4-6 weeks for sufferers to renew regular actions like driving or going to work. However a few of our sufferers who’ve had a robotic-assisted process have been again to actions in about half the time.
Affected person satisfaction
Knee substitute procedures have a really excessive success price. In one examine, 96% of implants lasted for greater than 10 years with 90% lasting for 20 years. However affected person satisfaction charges inform a barely totally different story.
“The information on the market reveals that about 85% of individuals are actually pleased with their knee replacements versus whole hips, which is extra like 95%,” she stated. “One of many issues we’re making an attempt to attain by way of ROSA is to extend affected person satisfaction with their knee replacements.”
Frances’ knee substitute story
Frances, who’s 74, lived with knee ache for about 10 years. However when she couldn’t stroll for various minutes, she made an appointment with Dr. Pui and so they determined one of the best factor was a knee substitute – with the assistance of the robotic assistant.
Frances was a bit anxious concerning the restoration course of. She thought it might take a very long time to get again to regular actions and that she can be in ache.
However that wasn’t Frances’ expertise. As a substitute, when she wakened after her knee substitute process, she was hardly in any ache. After 3-4 days she stopped taking the ache medicine besides at evening.
She was way more cell extra rapidly than anybody would have anticipated.
“Once I would stroll into locations they have been like, ‘Actually you simply had it executed every week in the past?’” stated Frances.
She’s completely happy that she had a robotic-assisted knee substitute surgical procedure and is aware of that her physician is a large a part of her success.
“Each time I hear horror tales concerning the ache, I simply need to discover Dr. Pui and provides her a hug,” stated Frances.
Nowadays, Frances resides life on her phrases.
“Do I’ve ache? Yeah, each every so often,” she stated. “It should final perhaps a couple of minutes, nevertheless it goes away. And I simply really feel prefer it’s therapeutic.”
What are the dangers of robotic knee surgical procedure?
Robotic knee surgical procedure has the identical dangers of conventional knee surgical procedure, together with an infection, knee stiffness, ongoing knee ache or an implant that doesn’t work the best way the affected person and physician hoped it might.
Complication charges with conventional knee substitute surgical procedure are low – 95% of individuals don’t have issues. We don’t but know if robotic surgical procedure will additional cut back your probability of problems.
Your pal in knee (and robots)
For those who’re contemplating a knee substitute and questioning if a robotic-assisted surgical procedure is best for you, make an appointment with an orthopedic physician at TRIA.
In the course of the appointment, your physician will look at your knee, ask you about what you’re experiencing and the way you’re at present managing your signs. They might additionally order assessments like an X-ray or MRI to see what’s taking place inside your knee.
One other large a part of this appointment is discussing what your targets are, and if surgical procedure could also be one of the simplest ways that will help you meet them. For instance, there could also be nonsurgical remedy choices for knee ache you haven’t tried but.
If surgical procedure looks as if a very good possibility, your physician will speak to you about scheduling, dangers and restoration. They might ask in case you’re thinking about robotic-assisted surgical procedure. However, in the event that they don’t, be happy to convey it up in case you’re .
All well being plans are required to cowl robotic-assisted knee surgical procedure. Nonetheless, it’s a good suggestion to test together with your well being plan to see how a lot of the process they’ll cowl.
Deciding on a knee substitute is an enormous choice, and fortunately it’s not one it’s worthwhile to make alone. We’ll be there each step of the best way, providing steering and help – out of your first session by way of restoration.
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