Hip replacement surgery is one of the most common surgical procedures performed by orthopedic surgeons. During surgery, the damaged hip joint will be removed and will be replaced with a prosthetic implant. The surgery can help patients recover from their joint problems and can make them regain their mobility. With the development in technology, hip replacement surgery can be performed with the help of a robotic arm to reduce the outliers in terms of implant positioning . The robotic is an additional tool for the surgeon to enhance his skills and make the surgery more accurate as per the patient’s unique bone anatomy. .
If you are planning to undergo robotic hip replacement surgery, then you need to understand certain things about the procedure. This helps to prepare yourself for the procedure.
What is Robotic Hip Replacement Surgery?
Robotic hip replacement surgery is similar to traditional hip replacement surgery. The damaged cartilage will be removed and replaced with a prosthesis or an implant. In this procedure, a robotic arm is used by the surgeon to accurately place the implant. The surgeon can perform the surgery more precisely with the help of image guidance (haptics) of the robotic arm. Robotic-assisted surgery also provides effective results with less recovery time.
How to Prepare for Robotic Hip Replacement Surgery?
Before performing surgery, the surgeon will perform a CT scan of your hip and determine if there is any difference in the length of the leg between the 2 sides. The CT scan generates accurate pictures of your hip including bone structure, hip joint alignment, etc. The CT scan also generates a 3D model of the patient along with the bones. Based on the CT scan, the surgeon will accordingly decide the best implant, its size and the position of the components to be placed.
What Happens During Robotic Hip Replacement Surgery?
Initial steps of surgery are the same as conventional surgery. Since the plan is already in place. The crucial steps in surgery are undertaken with the help of the robot. The preparation and impaction of the cup is under the full control of the robot. The position is decided by the surgeon and the execution is precise with the help of the robot. Second place where the robot is very useful is detecting and equalling the limb lengths during surgery. subtle changes made to the implants in terms of various sizes are accurately reflected on the computer screen and this helps the surgeon to avoid any leg length difference.
Once the procedure is completed, your condition and progress will be monitored to ease your discomfort. When you visit a doctor for hip replacement surgery, he/she will explain the possible options and tell you if you are a suitable candidate for the procedure.
What Benefits Does Robotic Hip Replacement Surgery Offer Over Traditional Surgical Procedure?
Robotic hip replacement surgery offers various benefits over traditional surgical methods such as the following:
- Patient-specific surgical planning: 3D computerized images are used for preparing for the surgery. This helps the surgeon to plan the surgery as per the patient’s anatomy such as selecting the correct implant, placing the implant precisely, etc.
- Better control: The robotic arm offers better control while removing the damaged cartilage and bone. This increases the accuracy of surgery and reduces the risks of complications like dislocation, impingement of the implants and mismatch in the leg size.
- Safe: The hip’s 3D model will be loaded into the robotic arm. The robotic arm moves and makes cuts only within the specified dimensions only. This ensures the safety of the procedure and is very bone conserving.
- Precision: The success of surgery is based on the accurate positioning of the hip prosthesis. The robotic-assisted surgery offers more precision making the patient walk naturally even with the prosthesis.
- Minimally invasive: Robotic-assisted hip replacement surgery can be performed with small incisions. This causes minimal to no damage to the surrounding tissues. The blood loss is also very minimal and the muscle damage is also minimal.
- Faster recovery: As the procedure is made with more precision and with small incisions, the recovery time is also faster when compared to traditional surgery.
- Natural feeling joint: The main aim of surgery is to make the patient walk more naturally than you walked with pain previously. Studies show that patients who underwent robotic-assisted surgery feel that the new joint is more comfortable and natural.
Planning for Robotic Hip Replacement Surgery? Dr Suhas Masilamani Can Guide You
Dr Suhas Masilamani is one of the best orthopedic and joint replacement surgeons in Hyderabad. He has performed several robotic hip replacement surgeries and helped patients walk naturally with their new hip joint. The hospital is equipped with the best tools and staff to provide proper care for the patients. To know if you are a good candidate for robotic-assisted hip replacement surgery, call us and schedule your consultation today.