Turkey: Robotic orthopedic surgery method reduces risks

By Sinan Balcikoca

BURSA, Turkey (AA) - A robotic surgery method used in a private hospital in northwestern Turkey decreases human-related risks to a minimum in knee and hip replacement surgeries, the hospital's board head told Anadolu Agency.

Mako Robotic Surgery, developed to eliminate possible human errors, has been used in orthopedic procedures for the last 10 years, said Dr. Omer Faruk Bilgen told Anadolu Agency.

“With this system, we first apply bone incisions and then the implants accordingly. Before a surgery, we teach the robot how to perform so that acts in the way we taught it during the surgery,” Bilgen said.

“Thanks to the robot, the surgeries are completed in a shorter time and patients recover sooner due to less tissue trauma. Anesthesia also makes it possible to experience a painless recovery process,” he added.

- Contribution to economy

Bilgen stressed that implants used have a certain lifespan and patients may need revisions in the orthopedic surgeries.

“Using such technological products to minimize these surgeries will reduce the revision rates. Therefore, we will eliminate the costs. So it will also contribute to the national economy,” Bilgen said.

- Patients can walk after surgeries

Underlining that the patients can walk immediately after a multidisciplinary surgery performed with the help of a robot, Bilgen said: “We used to keep the patients in the hospital for eight to 10 days. Now, along with developments in surgical techniques and careful attention of doctors, recovery time has been shortened through the use of such technological devices.”

“We discharge 25% of the patients on the same day [of surgery], and the robot enables us to perform safe surgery.”

* Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontur in Ankara