Benenden Hospital has announced the installation of a state-of-the-art robotic-assisted surgery system in its operating theatres.
The Zimmer Biomet ROSA Knee System combines precise sensors, live data and a robotic arm, supporting surgeons in performing minimally invasive total knee replacements. Benenden Hospital is the first in Kent to use this particular system and joins only a handful of hospitals nationwide employing the technology.
Benefits of robotic-assisted surgery with the ROSA knee system
Robotic surgery can be associated with reduced pain and patients benefit from quicker recovery times and a more tailored overall experience compared to traditional surgery.
Alex Chipperfield, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, said: “Benenden Hospital is a centre of excellence for knee replacement and our investment in this pioneering technology is another significant step towards improving the patient experience.
“It offers an ultimately better fit and function through a customised surgical plan, enabling faster healing and quicker recovery of motion.”
The ROSA Knee System is paired with a care management mobile app that helps support patients through their surgical preparation and recovery using smartphones and Apple Watch.
What is the ROSA Knee system?
Meet ROSA, a robotic surgical assistant, developed by Zimmer Biomet. The ROSA Knee System’s precision robotic arm helps increase the success of your knee replacement surgery (compared to a traditional knee replacement) by assisting your Surgeon in the placement of your new implant.
Hear more from Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mr Alex Chipperfield.
The ROSA knee system stands for Robotic Surgical Assistant. Essentially, it's a tool that allows me to perform a knee replacement in a more accurate and balanced way. The ROSA system is used in surgery to try and make knee replacements as accurate as possible. The surgery itself involves making multiple cuts in the bones in order to precisely place a knee implant. And the use of the ROSA robot allows these cuts to be performed more accurately.
The other part of a knee replacement is that the soft tissues that support and move the knee need to be working in harmony with the replacement itself. And the ROSA system allows me to balance the soft tissues around the knee both before and after the surgery. Essentially, the robotic arm just places the cutting guides in the correct position. It then allows me to use my saw through that cutting guide to perform the cuts. So, no, we're not at the stage where we have robotic surgeons. This is essentially another tool to allow me to do the surgery more accurately.
Most knee replacements take somewhere between 45 minutes and an hour for me to perform. The ROSA surgery does have a few extra steps that add around another 10 or 15 minutes on top of that. One of the advantages of the ROSA system is that there is less damage to the soft tissues around the knee replacement. This means that you should have less pain following surgery and also your recovery should be slightly quicker.
The hospital stay will be one or two nights. You will be walking, fully weight bearing when you leave hospital, but you will be helped with a pair of crutches. Most people find that the recovery from a knee replacement does take a few weeks and it can be up to two or three months before you're feeling normal again. The ROSA system can be used in the vast majority of knee replacement surgeries. There are a few rare exceptions where it wouldn't be appropriate to use the ROSA when performing the operation. The best thing to do would be to speak to me or another one of my consultant colleagues who would be able to guide you as to whether or not it would be suitable in your case.
Benenden Hospital is a centre of excellence for orthopaedic surgery and it's exciting to see the hospital investing in this state-of-the-art, modern technology that will allow us to perform knee replacement surgery in a more accurate way. If you're considering having robotic-assisted knee replacement surgery, please get in touch with the Private Patient team here at the hospital.
Supporting NHS with ROSA
Benenden Hospital performs over 1,000 knee and hip replacements per year. The hospital supports the great work of the NHS, with the new ROSA system potentially helping to alleviate pressure on waiting lists.
The treatment takes place in a calm and welcoming environment in the heart of the Kent countryside, delivered by a highly experienced team of Orthopaedic Consultants and supported by dedicated nurses and physiotherapists.
Jane Abbott, Benenden Hospital Director, said: “This further investment in robotic technology within our theatres follows the installation of our first robot-assisted system, The Procept AquaBeam, earlier this year.
“As a hospital, we are committed to improving patient care through innovation, and this revolutionary technology promises improved longer-term results for our patients, getting them back to an active life much sooner.”
To find out more about the ROSA Knee System, view our introductory video.
Published on 17 January 2024