What is knee/hip/shoulder replacement surgery?

Joint Replacement involves replacing the diseased and damaged natural joint of the body with an artificial one. This artificial joint is made of highly specialised bio-insert non-reactive metal, ceramic, or polyethylene material and is Fit into the bones with or without bone cement.

At what age is Joint Replacement generally advised?

Patients of Osteoarthritis generally undergo surgery at around 55 years of age but it depends on the stage of the disease. Severely affected patients, e.g. ankylosing/rheumatoid arthritis undergo surgery successfully even at 20 years of age.

What are the big advantages of using robotic surgery for patients, surgeons and hospitals in India adopting this technology?

There is always a cost to new technology. But if we can ensure that implants last long, it's really a powerful cost saver. So, one of the things that is the power of the robot is that because of its accuracy and precision it can reduce costs in the long run. By using better technology to ENSURE LONG LASTING AND BETTER FUNCTIONING OF THE ARTIFICIAL JOINTS, it will help the healthcare economics of India in general. It also brings far superior outcomes with the latest and greatest cutting edge technology, helping us to we at par with some of the modern hospitals of the Western world.

How significantly different are the patient outcomes for patients going in for robot assisted Partial Knee or Total Knee Replacement Surgeries?

Robotic Partial Knee Replacement Surgery has been around for over 5 years. And there are many published studies showing superiority, accuracy, precision, patient satisfaction and outcomes based on the Australian Registry. Total knee surgery has been around For about two years now and in India For the past one year. So the amount of data is less but in the early results it is showing improved outcomes in terms of accuracy, precision, faster recovery and patient satisfaction.

What is the role of a surgeon in Robotic Knee Replacement Surgery?

In robotic orthopaedic surgery, the robot is a tool that uses artificial intelligence & real time mapping, which helps the surgeon to plan and execute a perfect surgery. It's no different than saying if you have one type of tennis racket versus a very Fancy type of tennis racket. The evolution of tennis rackets have evolved From wood to now all carbon fibre graphene. The robot is a great artificial assistant but still in the hands of an experienced surgeon. You are still a tennis player with a tennis racket, similarly the surgeon with a good tool gets to perform better! It's 100% accurate and gives great results. IF a robotic tool is better and gives the patients better outcomes, it's potentially worth it.