ROBOTIC KNEE SURGERY
“The next day after my surgery I was standing upright on my legs once again and even walked a few steps with walker. I was completely stunned.”
Mrs. Y (name not disclosed due to ethical reasons) was a very cheerful 55 year old housewife. She took immense pride in telling everyone how she managed all the household responsibilities all by herself from a very young age. Behind her beautiful smile she hid her long standing knee pain from past many years due to her weight issues. She stared having difficulty standing up for a long time, walking and performing household chores. Gradually her husband noticed swelling around her knees along with the knee pain which went from being better to worse. With her daughter’s marriage coming up, they decided to consult their family doctor.
Based on the family doctor’s suggestion they decided to consult RNH hospital for their knee issue. After preliminary examination and knee X-ray and taking into consideration the expert team’s advice she was suggested for complete robotic knee replacement for her severely damaged both knee joint.
Listening to the doctor’s advice initially she became very apprehensive about the robotic surgery. Our expert doctor explained her that with robotic knee surgery they will create a customized plan according to the specific knee shape and motion of the knee. Also the robotic assistance will give a better accuracy and long term benefits compared to manual knee replacement surgery. Overall blood loss is also less comparatively and the patient can walk from the very next day.
The team also informed her about various satisfying experiences of patients who underwent similar surgeries. They also advised her to look into reviews of various patients available on the website. Satisfied with the explanation and reviews she gave her nod.
Soon she got admitted at RNH hospital for the surgery. Her early inhibitions were taken care by the team by emphasizing on patient education, preparing her physically and mentally. After all pre-operative tests and examinations she successfully underwent robotic knee replacement surgery of right knee followed by left robotic knee replacement after a gap of 1 day.
Post-surgery she was shifted to private room and care was taken by the nursing staff and the physiotherapist. Exercises for right knee had stared from the next day. A day after left robotic knee replacement, she was made to stand with help of walker. Gaining some confidence in standing, they decided to make her walk. She noticed that her pain was no more and she was walking upright. Toilet training and transfers were also taught to her. Gradually her cadence increased and post 4 days she was trained for stair climbing. On post op 6th day she was discharged from hospital after a swift insurance clearance with all necessary do’s and don’ts instructions.
On her first follow up 7 days after discharge she happily walked freely without walker .She was advised to continue her exercise routine and called for follow ups on regular bases post-surgery for 2 months.
On her last follow up post-surgery, she shared her gratifying experience with the team. She was immensely happy with the outcome of surgery and was glad that she could now be pain free and enjoy her daughter’s wedding.
She was able to ride 2 wheeler 2 weeks after last follow up and also got back to her regular morning walks.
Robotic knee replacement surgery delivers better results compared to conventional knee replacement surgery due to less trauma to bone and tissue due to its precision. Also, the patient experience less post-operative pain and heal faster enabling them to return to their normal routine activities sooner.
RNH Hospital offers guidance for people considering, undergoing or recovering from knee replacement surgeries.