YORK — York Hospital and Dr. Akhil Sastry announced recently that they are now offering robot-assisted partial knee replacement: a minimally invasive treatment option for adults living with early to mid-stage osteoarthritis that has not yet progressed to all three compartments of the knee.
This provides a less invasive option than traditional knee surgery and is performed using a highly advanced, surgeon-controlled robotic arm system. York Hospital and Sastry are the first to acquire and practice this technology in Maine and New Hampshire.
Using robot-assisted surgery for partial knee procedures, Sastry and the York Hospital Surgery Center offer the potential for the following benefits, as compared with total knee surgery: reduced pain, minimal hospitalization, faster recovery, less implant wear and loosening, less scarring, better motion and a more natural feeling knee.
“Robotic-assisted knee surgery allows us to treat patients with knee osteoarthritis with greater precision than ever possible,” Sastry said in a press release. “Because it is less invasive and preserves more of the patient’s natural knee anatomy, the goal for patients is not only to have relief from their pain but also to gain back knee motion, and return to their daily activities at an earlier interval.”
The robotic system enables the surgeon to complete a customized, patient-specific pre-surgical plan that details the technique for implant positioning using a CT scan of the patient’s knee. During the procedure, the system creates a three-dimensional, virtual view and correlates the image to the pre-programmed surgical plan.
As the surgeon uses the robotic arm, its tactile, auditory and visual feedback isolates the diseased areas, providing real-time adjustments and optimal implant positioning for each individual patient.
“Precision is key in planning and performing partial knee surgeries,” said Sastry. “For a good outcome you need to align and position the implants just right. Precision in surgery, and in the pre-operative planning process, is what York Hospital’s new robotic system can deliver, for each individual patient.”
For more information about York Hospital’s Surgery Center or robotassisted partial knee replacement, contact Jody Merrill at [email protected] or 351-3958.
