Having had a robotically assisted knee replacement, a man from Brighton said he feels "delighted, privileged, and lucky.".
One of the first patients at the Sussex Orthopaedic Centre in Haywards Heath to receive the "innovative" procedure is Chris Ives, 74.
After more than ten years of excruciating pain from severe osteoarthritis, Mr. Ives decided to have the surgery.
In order to have the same procedure done on his right knee, he is currently recovering.
Mr. Ives claimed that despite having limited mobility before having surgery on his left knee, he continued to put off seeking care.
He said, "I simply could not go on.". My choice as to which knee would be replaced first, despite the fact that I had severe arthritis in both of them, was inevitable.
But I kept delaying doing it. It got to the point where I was taking frequent breaks and was having trouble doing simple daily tasks like walking. ".
He had his surgery at the Princess Royal Hospital's treatment center, the first NHS facility in the south east to use the Mako robot for knee replacements.
The robotic arm enables surgeons to work more closely with medical team members in the operating room and to make much more precise bone cuts, preventing harm to knee joint soft tissues.
Mr. Ives' surgery was done by consultant orthopaedic surgeon Majid Chowdhry.
"We can install the same implant that we've been using here for many years," he said. Simply put, we can now add them with a lot more information and detail.
"You can further adjust the position of your implants to make them ideal for that patient by using motion sensors during the procedure. Our ability to make precise cuts with secure boundaries is made possible by the robot arm. ".
In addition to being able to engage in "more physical activities," Mr. Ives expressed excitement about "regaining more mobility.".
Director of the hospital Christopher Ashcroft expressed his intention to eventually add hip replacement surgery to the list of services offered.
