April 2023 - Lowveld

a number of hip replacements.” He also
said that by the end of 2023, Busamed
Lowveld Private Hospital surgeons will
be making use of the ROSA for hip and
shoulder surgery as well.
Dr Kuhn and Dr Dimitriou placed emphasis
on the fact that the ROSA does not
replace or take over from the surgeon,
but rather assists in the correct placement
of the knee based on the prompts of the
surgeon. The doctors at Busamed Lowveld
Private Hospital have received specialised
training on the exact procedures required
to operate the ROSA effectively.
Dr Kuhn explained how the doctors
teach the ROSA the position of the leg
that is being operated on, the degrees
of movement and alignment, and what
these should be post-surgery.
“Data on the unique anatomy and
anatomical defects of the relevant patient
is fed to the robot by sensors,” he continued,
“data that is then used to evaluate
the precise bone cuts, balancing the
knee joints’ ligaments to optimise the
positioning of the prosthesis. The
robotic arm then assists the surgeon in
performing the bony resection.”
He stressed that while the operation is
done with the technical assistance of the
ROSA, the surgical procedure itself is still
performed by the surgeon. Dr Dimitriou
added that the ROSA continuously
assesses the accuracy of the surgical steps,
making use of a model to demonstrate
the point. “The arm makes sure that the
surgeon’s expected outcome at the end of
the surgery is in fact the outcome that he
achieves,” said Dr Kuhn.
Having the ROSA at Busamed Lowveld
Private Hospital is a momentous advancement
in the field of orthopaedic surgery in
the Lowveld, and represents a significant
step forward in our understanding of
replacement surgery. It puts the possibility
of rapid recovery and possible sameday
or even overnight discharge within
reach, all of which results in an improved
and positive outcome for the patient.
Details: www.busamed.co.za/Lowveld
Dr Dimitri Dimitriou
Dr alex Kuhn and Dr Dimitri Dimitriou during the rOSa demonstration