Knee Replacement Surgery

Robotic Joint Replacement surgery is a more advanced method for joint replacement for people with severe and chronic arthritis. In the traditional method of knee replacement surgery, a big incision is made on the joint that needs replacement which enables the surgeon to manoeuvre around the area, remove the damaged joint, fix the prosthetic and patch it up.

Up until a few years ago, the traditional method was the most opted one simply because there was no other alternative available. However, a huge number of patients were not satisfied with the outcome of the surgery. Patients were not happy with the restricted movements of the joints after the surgery. This was because of the misalignment of the prosthetic, damage to the surrounding ligaments and tissues, infection ratio, and the ease of mobility after the surgery which led to the development of a more innovative methodology - The Robotic Knee Replacement.

The Robotic Knee Replacement procedure takes the help of a robotic arm to achieve a near-to-perfect degree of precision and alignment of the joint while the surgeon removes the damaged tissues from the joint without disturbing the undamaged muscles, tissues and ligaments. After the removal of the damaged tissues, the surgeon works on placing the prosthetic joint (also known as an implant) with the help of a robotic arm.

The entire procedure is planned in detail at the perioperative stage (after the patient decides to get the knee replaced) and is stored in the software of the NAVIO surgical system. Along with other details, the surgical system collects data on the damaged areas of the joint through real-time imaging (without the need for a CT-Scan), hand-held robotics, and a portable cart.

During the procedure, the surgeon can change the planned procedure at any given time if the need arises. This gives him the flexibility of remaining in control of the procedure while the robotic hand takes care of the precision and manoeuvres the small areas of the joint.

Robotic joint replacement centres and surgeries are gaining popularity over traditional joint replacement surgery because the surgeries can be performed with better precision and alignment for the joints (the level of which cannot be achieved by a human hand) all the while handling the soft tissues of the joint quite delicately. It reduces the hospital stay after the surgery and the follow-up trips to the hospital resulting in cost-effectiveness while improving the overall recovery rate of the patients. All these benefits translate into faster recovery, less pain, and better results for the patients.

Dr. Kaushik Patel specializes in Robotic Knee Replacement Surgeries performed with the NAVIO surgical system and is considered one of the best robotic knee replacement surgeons in Surat, Gujarat.

What is Partial Knee Replacement?

There are various types of knee replacement procedures. Depending upon the symptoms and damage to the joint, the surgeon will be able to decide which type of procedure the patient requires. When there’s stiffness and instability in your knee or when the knee pain does not allow you to perform your daily activities (like walking, climbing stairs or getting up from a sitting position) with ease and even the medicines and exercises aren’t relieving you of your pain; these are the initial indicators that point towards knee replacement. Upon examination, your knee replacement doctor in Surat (or elsewhere too) will suggest either a partial knee replacement or a total knee replacement looking at factors like the severity of the damage, age, any prior medical conditions, your activity level, your professional life, and so on.

Is Knee Replacement A Major Surgery?

Yes, Knee replacement surgery is counted as a major surgery since the patient needs to be hospitalized for around 4 – 7 days and it takes approximately 6 weeks for a patient to resume his daily activities post-surgery. The patient will also have to seek the help of a physiotherapist after surgery to smoothen the healing process. A knee replacement surgery will only be suggested by your doctor in case all other treatment options like medicines, physiotherapy, exercises, steroids, etc. are neither helping you in reducing pain nor have not improved your mobility. If you are looking for a knee replacement, it is always advisable to seek medical advice from one of the best joint surgeon in Surat like Dr Kaushik Patel who has had many years of robotic knee replacement experience and can provide the best guidance after analysing your medical history.

Is Knee Replacement Painful?

Each person has a different threshold and endurance for pain. Just after the operation, the operation site is bound to be more tender and painful due to the incisions. Therefore, it is reported that patients opting for robotic knee replacement experience less pain than the traditional knee replacement surgery since the robotic knee replacement procedures are done through a minimally invasive method. Having said that, the initial 3 months after the surgery, patients report feeling a moderate amount of pain that gradually decreases. While the arthritic pain is gone, the patient’s body is still getting accustomed to the new prosthetic. The sooner the tendons and ligaments get used to the prosthetic the lesser the pain. It is advisable to seek the consultation of the best joint replacement surgeon in Surat for successful surgeries that result in less pain for the patients.

Are there any drawbacks of traditional knee replacements?

Traditional knee replacement is where surgeons make one big incision (about 8 to 12 inches long) for the surgery. Since this is an open surgery, there are many drawbacks like:

• May result in excessive blood loss during the surgery
• More damage to the surrounding ligaments and tendons than robotic knee replacement
• More painful than robotic knee replacement
• Chances of infection post-operation are higher
• High patient dissatisfaction due to improper alignment of the prosthetic
• Completely surgeon-dependent for precision.