Hand-held ‘robot’ puts Manchester hospital into euro top ten

Spire Manchester Hospital has become the first hospital in the North of England – and one of only ten in the whole of Europe – to carry out a total knee replacement operation using the new Navio robot-assisted system.

Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mr Winston Kim carried out the joint replacement procedure using the hand-held NAVIO ‘robot’ which is in use at only three private hospitals in the UK.

Designed and developed by internationally renowned technology experts Smith and Nephew, the system allows surgeons to minimise the amount of bone removed from a damaged knee before positioning the new implant in exactly the right place to achieve optimum joint stability.

Unlike other robotic-assisted tools, NAVIO takes away the need for a CT scan before an operation. Instead a probe feeds a 3D ‘roadmap’ of the knee into a computer, providing the surgeon with all the information needed to create a specific surgical plan for each individual patient.

The computer then feeds back information about the knee, allowing the surgeon to accurately remove damaged bone to make way for the implant. If the tool is passed over a part of the knee that doesn’t need removing then the cutters automatically stop…not starting again until it reaches parts mapped out for removal.

Mr Kim explained: “It allows for a more precise and accurate knee replacement implant placement, tailored to the patient’s anatomy and alignment. This increases the likelihood of a more natural-feeling knee after surgery. I believe this will have the potential to reduce the requirement for revision surgery and increase the lifespan of the knee replacement.

“The first operation went very well and I am confident of an excellent outcome. This really is the cutting-edge of joint-replacement technology and I am sure it will prove a great success for surgeons and patients alike.”

Hospital Director, Andrew Eadsforth added: “Medical technology is developing at a very fast rate and at Spire Manchester Hospital we invest in technology to ensure we remain at the forefront of innovation.

“The NAVIO is in use at only three private hospitals in the UK and I am proud to say we are one of those. This shows our determination to ensure our leading consultants have the best equipment available and that our patients continue to benefit from our commitment to first class healthcare.”