Hospital da Luz Lisboa performed in March two first surgeries for knee prosthesis placement in Orthopaedics assisted by robotic device. It was the first hospital in Lisbon introducing this system and the second one in the country. The robotic system: Is portable comprising a screen, two TV cameras, sensors for 3D image capturing, and a computer; Allows the surgeon to plan the surgery with maximum precision level, meeting the predefined standards. The surgical plan is thus customized based on the digital 3D model of the knee produced by robot; It guides the surgeon during the intervention in the execution of the necessary cuts and other procedures, which are conducted with much higher precision than in conventional surgery. The same applies to the prosthesis placement; It can be used in total or partial knee surgeries, knee revision surgery, and also in hip surgery for prosthesis placement. These are the main advantages for the patient: Higher precision in the prosthesis placement – and therefore better perspectives in terms of prosthesis adaptation and functioning; Less blood loss; Higher benefits in more complex and harder to operate cases, thanks to the precision ensured by the system. “One could say that we perform the operation before it is really conducted” , explains Pedro Granate , , the coordinator of Hospital da Luz Lisboa team dedicated to knee pathology, further adding that the introduction of this robotic device in the clinical practise of Orthopaedics represents “a true paradigm shift”. However, the surgeon must take specific training to use this equipment – and Pedro Granate, Francisco Javier Vazquez and Marcos Jesus are the first Hospital da Luz orthopaedic surgeons with such qualification. Since the first surgeries in March, other are being planned and conducted, on average two every week, meaning “they are entering the hospital’s routine”, as states Pedro Granate.
