Poland has become only the third EU country to perform a hip replacement operation using a robotic arm, marking a significant advancement in orthopaedics.
The procedure was carried out earlier this month at the Mazovian Bródno Hospital in Warsaw, the hospital’s medical director, Professor Paweł Skowronek, told the Polish Press Agency.
During a robotic hip replacement, the surgeon attaches a surgical guidance device to the robotic arm, and the system, powered by artificial intelligence, calculates the optimal placement of the hip implant while performing real-time diagnostic measurements.
As the implants are placed, the robotic arm assists with precise positioning.
This advanced technology eliminates the need for separate MRI or CT scans, reduces the risk of complications, and improves joint mobility, potentially enabling patients to return to sports and other activities in the future.
Skowronek said the technology, previously used for knee surgery, marks a significant advancement in orthopaedics.
‘We have been using knee robots for four years, but the robotic arm that can also be used for the hip joint is the next stage of the development of orthopaedics; it is a new thing,’ he told PAP.
‘The hip joint is the most common joint in which prosthesoplasty is performed, and thanks to the robotic arm, prosthesis implantation is optimised.’
He added: ‘It is possible to obtain the optimal prosthesis setting, minimise the limb difference, achieve the best range of mobility of the joint with the lowest risk of dislocation, and of course with the possibility of different patient activities, including sports activities, in the future.’
Skowronek added that hip replacements are increasingly being performed on younger patients due to lifestyle factors and earlier onset of degenerative changes.
‘The age at which prostheses are implanted is decreasing, and the number of procedures is expected to almost double across Europe by 2050,’ he said.
Apart from Poland, Belgium and Slovakia are the only other EU countries that have used the technology so far.
The Mazovian Bródno Hospital performs approximately 2,000 surgical procedures annually, including over 1,000 hip replacements using the minimally invasive MIS DAA (Direct Anterior Approach) technique, one of the most advanced in Poland.
Source: TVP World
