Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital performs knee joint surgery using robotic-arm technology

Robotic surgeries have been around for a while, but at Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital, doctors announced that for the first time, they replaced an entire knee joint on an elderly patient using the Stryker’s Mako robotic arm.

The robotic-arm assisted surgery was developed for knee replacements. It does a CT scan of the patient, creating a 3D image and helping surgeons create a plan. The technology guides surgeons on precisely where to cut, avoiding incisions on sensitive areas such as blood arteries and nerve endings.

The Siriraj Hip and Knee Joint Replacement Excellence Centre has been using robotic-assisted technology for knee operations since 2007, the centre’s director says, according to the Bangkok Post.

The procedure will now be offered to patients admitted at the Siriraj Hospital as well as the Golden Jubilee Medical Centre in Nakhon Pathom. The surgery would be done at the Siriraj Hospital and patients would then be transferred back to the hospital where they were first admitted.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post