Abu Dhabi: Robotic arm to be used for hip replacement surgeries from next month

A first-of-its-kind procedure using robots for hip replacement will be introduced in Abu Dhabi next month, according to officials at Healthpoint hospital.

The orthopaedic robotic arm-assisted surgery improves recovery time in cases of hip replacement, with better patient outcomes, medics said.

Healthpoint said this advanced robotic tool offers the latest cutting-edge surgery method in the UAE, reducing the need of patients having to travel abroad to access gold standard treatments.

The procedure has also been conducted on athletes afflicted by sports injuries.

Dr Jonathan Conroy, a visiting doctor at Healthpoint, who introduced this procedure in the UK and is now bringing it to Abu Dhabi. He will be conducting his first UAE operation on May 16 at Healthpoint in Abu Dhabi.

Dr Conroy has been using the robotic arm since 2017 and has conducted over 750 surgeries to date – the third highest number of such surgeries globally. He performs around 200 operations a year using this procedure.

He is an expert in sports-related hip injuries and managing non-arthritic hip/groin pain in young patients. In establishing a Yorkshire regional referral practice in hip arthroscopy (keyhole surgery of the hip) over a decade ago he now has one of the largest hip arthroscopy practices in the UK.

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Dr Conroy says robotic assistance aids in ensuring consistent and accurate positioning of implants to give the best functional outcome. At Healthpoint, he will be conducting surgeries over the next few months and train other surgeons in the use of this technique. Dr Conroy is also an engineer who was instrumental in the design of the implants that are used in these surgeries.

One of his patients who successfully underwent the procedure is Claire Exley, 50. She underwent the knee, surgery for osteoarthritis in July 2021. She was in agony for over 18 months and could not enjoy ride her two horses or walk her dogs. However, just four weeks after the robotic surgery, she was able to walk her dogs, drive her car and muck out her stables. She returned to horse riding three months after surgery and managed a rapid, pain-free recovery that exceeded her expectations.

• Abu Dhabi