Robot-assisted knee replacement in UAE

Robot-assisted knee replacement in UAE gives new hope to 61-year old

Abu Dhabi: Khamees Salona is your first individual to undergo a knee replacement.
Salona, who was employed for 35 years as a police officer, was suffering from debilitating pain in his knee for at least a decade. He had also had a fall three years ago that had worsened the pain, and an arthroscopy he failed overseas had failed to supply any relief.

He was able to take the first couple of steps on his right knee, A day later he underwent the procedure on March 8. "It is a particular feeling, knowing that I was able to experience the operation close to home at the UAE, surrounded by family and friends and at the hands of famous Emirati surgeon. I aspire to walk without pain shortly," the 61-year-old Emirati defense consultant told Gulf News.

The innovative procedure, in which surgeons use an artificial Intelligence-supported system to remove damaged bone tissue and put an implant, is new in the area, with the initial process being completed at a private hospital in Dubai only last year (2018). Dr. Yaaqoub Al Hammadi, consultant orthopedic surgeon and knee and athletic surgery specialist in the clinic, who worked on Salona said, "Together with the population getting older, and with a lot more people being obese, knee replacements are today routine surgeries. I play between 10 to 11 a week. But the usage of robot help makes these procedures more accurate. Additionally, the smaller surgical cut reduces healing time and length of hospital stay, in addition to reducing the patient's pain and distress."

He might need to undergo routine physiotherapy to get at least a month or 2 to acquire the whole role of his knee joint, but need to have the ability to walk to his own later, Dr. Al Hammadi said.
"The access to robot-assisted systems will permit us to serve more individuals, while also ensuring that the operations are more exact and powerful," he added.

In reality, global studies have demonstrated that a one percent revision of this process is required two years following a robot-assisted knee replacement, which will be four times greater than the speed following a traditional technique.

"The UAE is powering ahead to provide more AI-driven improvements, and also the access to such surgeries demonstrates that the healthcare industry will benefit considerably," Dr. Al Hammadi added.