The first surgery in Greece to restore damage to the knee with special robotic system "MAKO" was held yesterday at the Metropolitan Hospital. The distinguished orthopedic surgeons Costas Drettakis and Dionysius Chissas proceeded to remedy serious disease, using sophisticated American robots.
Head of the team of surgeons was the American Biouchel Frederick, who has made 600 such surgeries in the USA. With this robotic function, the Greece was one of three countries in Europe, with Germany and Italy, which have robotic technology in the field of orthopedics.
The machine allows very delicate handling, enabling surgeons to treat lesions in the knee joint in time, long before you need to place a total joint replacement.
In affected parts of the knee may be partial substitution of tubers. As for the hip, the joint that suffers from arthritis or other degenerative disease can be subjected to a minimally invasive robotic replacement using special inserts, which are available exclusively for robotics use.
The operations are made with much smaller incisions and patients remain at most one day in the hospital. The duration of surgery is only 30-60 minutes and this contributes very significantly to reducing complications. Blood loss is minimal and complications associated with blood loss minimized.
As Mr. Biouchel, patients operated on in the USA had dramatic improvement and can walk even three hours after surgery. Upon leaving the hospital not even need crutches and in a few weeks knees can make all the moves.
According to American experts, the implementation of such advanced methods minimize hospitalization and the costs involved. Minimized also complications for the benefit of the patient and the insurance Fund.
The surgery is designed specifically for each patient, with evidence "pass" on the computer system. In this way is formed the size and depth of the incision to be made in the bone. When performing surgery, the robot allows the surgeon moves or incisions beyond the limits specified.
It is estimated that 50% of patients who were to submit to total knee replacement can now avoid it by choosing a much more limited and effective intervention. With this technique, only replace the abnormal portion of articular cartilage and not the entire joint, as in total knee replacement. So restored kinematics of the knee joint, resulting in abnormal movement and return to full activities, quickly and painlessly.
Source : Ethnos (http://www.ethnos.gr/article.asp?catid=22768&subid=2&pubid=63952562)