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Dubai: Indian expat walks again just 3 hours after robot-assisted knee surgery

For 12 years, Shashi Joshi found it difficult to even stand due to severe pain

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An Indian expat underwent a successful robot-assisted complex knee replacement surgery, walking just three hours later.

For the past 12 years, 63-year-old Shashi Joshi had been battling severe pain in both her knees due to osteoarthritis for more than a decade. It made her daily routines difficult, from walking to even standing.

"We have tried all sorts of conventional treatment from injections to pain killers, etc., in various hospitals in the UAE and abroad. But the pain and difficulty in walking persisted," said Joshi.

The pain soon became unbearable and Joshi consulted Dr Azam Badr Khan, specialist orthopedic surgeon at Prime Hospital in Garhoud.

"Joshi had been suffering from knee pain and deformity for more than 15 years, and her left knee was more badly affected," said Dr Khan.

"She was under medication, supplements, physiotherapy, and even intra-articular inside knee injections of hyaluronic acid and steroids."

Joshi asked Dr Khan "to come up with a derived plan" for her knees, and she was subjected to pain management and medication for nearly two months.

On July 28, Joshi underwent robot-assisted knee replacement surgery.

"We removed the worn-off part in the knee joint by shaving the lower end of the thigh bone, called the femur, and the upper end of leg bone, called the tibia, and replaced it with a titanium and cobalt chrome sophisticated metal and inserted polyethylene to act as a spacer," said Dr Khan.

Dr Khan added that the robot-assisted knee replacement concept was the same as the traditional knee replacement but with nearly no chance of human error.

"Sensors are attached along the knee where the robot controls the surgery. It guides the surgeon on the exact tissues and area to peel off."

"The robotic surgery helps in precision, perfect alignment, and ligament balancing as the implant is precisely fused to negate negligible human error."

Dr Khan also explained that the surgery is first carried out on a screen and then performed on the actual knee after it precisely calculates where the implant is to be fixed.

"Robots in total knee replacement is all about precision which comes from the integration of physics, maths & thoughts. Precision leads to better alignment and hence better mobility with faster recovery and long-lasting knee replacement," Dr Khan explained.

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Joshi could walk in just three hours soon after the surgery.

"I am on my regular exercises and physiotherapy sessions, and I do experience pain a bit, but that is part of the process," said Joshi.

Joshi was under observation for five days and was discharged on August 3.

"I am thankful to the surgeon and hospital staff, and I am waiting to get back to ease in my daily routine," added Joshi.

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