Robotic surgery, or, more broadly, precision surgery, has arrived, seen, and conquered. The reasons behind its success lie in increased safety and reduced surgical errors and complications, which have exponentially positive effects on the client: less post-operative pain, reduced burden and improved immune system response, faster recovery, lower incidence of infections, and nearly invisible surgical scars.
It was in April that we performed the first robotic surgery for knee prosthesis at HPA Gambelas, with the belief that, in the near future, we will be able to replicate it for hip prosthesis as well.
The robot was conducted by an intelligent milling tool with sub-millimeter precision. Controlled by the surgeon, it reduces the possibility of errors and assists in the placement of the implant, closely reproducing the patient’s original knee.
Knee and hip arthroplasties are among the most rewarding procedures for both patients and orthopedic surgeons due to their excellent results. It accounts approximately for 10% of the 2,000 annual interventions carried out by the Orthopedics Group at HPA, and, for the past 12 years, it has been one of the areas in which the department has invested the most in technical and scientific terms.
According to Dr. João Paulo Sousa, coordinator of the Orthopedics Group, “we believe that with this precise and safe technological option, we will be able to improve our clinical and functional outcomes: reducing the number of dissatisfied patients and possibly shortening hospital stays and recovery time, enabling a safer return to daily activities, as well as increasing the longevity of the prosthesis.”
In orthopedics, as in multiple areas of medicine, the contribution of new technologies has been invaluable and growing. An example of this is the Patient-Specific Instrumentation (PSI) system, which involves the execution of specific and personalized cutting blocks for each patient.
The Orthopedics Group at HPA has been using this system for over 10 years and has become a national and international reference center of investigation and training.
The team’s investment in new technologies has generated relevant scientific production, including 10 publications in indexed journals, three book chapters, and 70 presentations at conferences. This has contributed to the recognition of the team’s training credibility by the Medical Board for orthopedic interns. The introduction of robotics will give a new impetus to this important aspect of medical practice.
Finally, last September, the Orthopedics Group at HPA organized the first meeting in Portugal on robotic surgery. The event was attended by the most important international experts in this area and the Orthopedics Department of HPA presented the results of its first surgeries.
Article submitted by the HPA Health Group
