Chris Ives, 74, from Brighton, who has severe arthritis in both his knees, was one of the first patients at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSussex) to be offered innovative robotic-assisted knee replacement surgery.
Chris, who has been living with osteoarthritis for almost a decade, said: “I kept putting off getting treatment, until it got to the point where I was struggling with simple day to day things like walking and was having to take regular breaks. I chose to have my left knee replaced first, as it was the most debilitating and painful.”
Chris had his operation at the Sussex Orthopaedic Treatment Centre (SOTC), Princess Royal Hospital, which is now the first NHS hospital in the whole South East region to offer Mako robot technology for knee replacements.
Compared to traditional surgery, the robotic-assisted procedure allows the surgeon to remove bone more precisely, and position the new knee more accurately, which can mean better results for patients.
Mr Majid Chowdhry, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at UHSussex, performed Chris’ operation.
He said: “With this innovative technology, we can use CT scans to identify the correct implant size and position before the surgery. Then, on the day of the procedure, we can use the technology to optimise the final implant position and leg alignment, which we believe gives better results for our patients in the longer term.
“During the operation, the robot arm also helps to make accurate bone cuts within safe boundaries, which prevents any damage to surrounding soft tissue structures around the knee and makes the surgery as safe as possible.”
During Chris’ operation, Mr Chowdhry used the technology to confirm improvements in his new knee’s range of movement, stability, and alignment.
Chris is now recovering well from his operation and is hoping to have the same surgery on his right knee in the future. He added: “I feel delighted, privileged, and lucky for the care I have received. I’m now looking forward to regaining more mobility and being able to do more physical activities than I used to.”
Christopher Ashcroft, Hospital Director for Princess Royal Hospital, said: “Earlier this year, the Sussex Orthopaedic Treatment Centre was named as one of eight elective surgical hubs in the country to receive national recognition for the care it provides to patients.
“Building on this, it is fantastic to have this robot here at the Sussex Orthopaedic Treatment Centre and give more patients across the region access to this life-changing technology. We hope to expand the service to include hip replacement surgery in the near future.”