2023-12-04 19:47:45
A team of surgeons busy around “Rosa”. Rosa is not the patient of the day, but this new robot unique in Wallonia. Its mission is to assist the surgeon in the installation of knee prostheses.
Concretely, the operation takes place “almost” like all the others. Doctors first make an incision, before using the robot. Sensors are installed around the patient’s knee, then a robotic arm rests on the operated knee bone. Then, thanks to a whole series of information displayed on 2 screens, the surgeon can then plan the installation of the prosthesis with very high precision, around half a millimeter. The robot only has a guiding role, and it is the doctor who makes the bone cuts.
Reduced recovery time for the patient
This robot is insured for 1 million euros. The purchase amount for the hospital is lower (thanks to an agreement with the manufacturer), but the precise amount remains secret.
The investment remains substantial, but it offers 2 major advantages: greater precision in the placement of the prosthesis, and reduced recovery time for the patient.
Jacques Hernigou is an orthopedic surgeon at EPICURA Baudour, and he is part of the first team to have used Rosa in real conditions in Wallonia. According to him : “This robot is part of the Rapid Recovery project adopted by EpiCURA. Previously, patients undergoing knee replacement surgery stayed in the hospital for a short week. Here, we have patients who leave 1 or 2 days following their surgery. The other time scale is the long term. In general, with a total knee prosthesis, we acquire satisfaction following 6 weeks to 3 months, and we forget regarding a prosthesis following 9 months or 1 year. And there we hope to reduce these quantities by around 3 to 6 months“.
A shared robot for the 3 EpiCURA sites
Rosa will not move from this hospital. But surgeons from the 2 other EpiCURA sites (Ath and Hornu) will be able to come and operate on their patients with this robot, in Baudour. But before using this machine, you must first go through a training stage. This is the case of Alexandre Hupez, Orthopedist at EpiCURA ATH, who came to attend today’s operation in Baudour. “Obviously, we don’t come in with all the confidence to operate with this robot. Above all, you need to train. This is the first opportunity I have to see this robot in action. I hope to be able to use it by January“.
For patients, using a robot in an operating room can be scary. This is not the case for Nancy Leloux, the first patient to have been operated on with this robot: “No, I wasn’t afraid. The doctor explained to me that the robot is precise to the nearest millimeter, so that was great. I hope that I will find more suitable mobility”.
Rosa, is currently only used for knee prostheses. But it should soon also be used for hip and shoulder operations.
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