Gurgaon: Elderly from Kolkata receives country’s first robotic knee replacement surgery

The recipient, a 61-year-old woman from Kolkata’s Sealdah, said she had been living in pain for close to five years as she was scared of surgery

A 61-year-old woman underwent the country’s first Navio robotic knee replacement surgery on Friday. It was also the first such surgery attempted by a private hospital in Gurgaon. She had been suffering from joint pain over the last few years.

Ashok Rajgopal, who successfully performed the surgery, explains the medical procedure at a press conference at the Fortis Bone and Joint Institute in Gurgaon on Friday. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

The surgery was executed using the latest robotic intervention in joint replacement. The doctors claimed it was the first such medical procedure performed in the country. The new technology aims to reduce the recovery time as compared to entire knee replacement.

Padmashree recipient Ashok Rajgopal, an orthopaedic surgeon at the Fortis Bone and Joint Institute, Gurgaon, successfully conducted the city’s first joint replacement surgery.

The new technology enables the surgeon to repair the damaged part of the knee without causing any pain.

“This technology enhances precision, as the patient recovers faster and faces less pain,” said Rajgopal adding that the it ensures lesser bone removal, preserves natural anatomy and facilitates better post-operative outcomes for the patient.

The patient, a resident of Sealdah in Kolkata, said she was hopeful of regaining normal movements soon. “I have been living with this painful knee for close to five years, as I was always fearful of surgery. Two months ago, the pain became so unbearable that I had no other option but to look for surgery,” she said.

The robot-assisted system eliminates the possibility of human error and leads to a perfect alignment and longevity of the joint implant.

Patients gain full movement, including sitting cross-legged and squatting in a few months, said the doctors at the hospital.

Simmardeep Singh Gill, zonal director, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, said, “With advanced robotics entering the field of orthopaedics, patients can now receive treatment in a manner similar to day-care surgeries.”