Durban – A team of doctors from Gauteng have pushed the boundaries on hip and knee replacements after they made use of an advanced robotic system during an orthopaedic surgery.
The surgeons, Dr Wian van der Merwe and Dr Tiaan Stoffberg, were praised by the Netcare Hospital in Pretoria East for being part of a select few to undergo training to use the Mako robotic system.
The system is the first of its kind at the facility and Van de Merwe performed the first robotic assisted hip and knee surgeries at the hospital in November last year.
“We congratulate orthopaedic surgeons Dr Wian van der Merwe and Dr Tiaan Stoffberg on achieving full accreditation last year in the use of this advanced technology, for the benefit of those in need of such surgery,” said Pieter Louw, general manager of Netcare Pretoria East Hospital.
“By the end of June, a further two orthopaedic surgeons practising at our hospital will complete the final leg of their accreditation in the use of the robotic assisted system. This will result in a total of four experienced orthopaedic surgeons offering this option to people requiring knee and hip replacements at our facility,” Louw added.
Louw said the Netcare Pretoria East is only the fourth facility within the group to house the Mako robotic system. The others are the Netcare Linksfield, Netcare Pinehaven and Netcare Blaauwberg hospitals.
The Mako system was not just for the sake of technological advancement, Van der Merwe explained, it offered a higher level of precision during surgery. Both he and Stoffberg had to undergo training in Turkey before using the machine.
Van de Merwe said the system offered a more predictable and personalised orthopaedic procedure.
“Based on a CT scan of the patient’s knee, the system’s sophisticated software develops a three-dimensional digital map of the knee, and calculates the optimal implant size, placement and alignment of the prosthetic knee joint to fit the patient’s specific anatomy. This data is then translated into a preoperative surgical plan.
“This offers an extra level of precision, adding to the surgeon’s own technique and experience. On the day of the procedure, the digital 3D map of the knee is carefully aligned to the patient’s actual knee in theatre, and the surgical plan is validated,” Van de Merwe said.
Although the advanced technology may appear to be more precise than a human hand, he says it is nothing without the guidance of the surgeon himself.
“The robotic system cannot do anything without the surgeon. Rather, it helps keep the surgeon within the optimal dimensions to match the patient’s individual anatomy through the defined surgical plan.”
IOL