For the first time in India, a robotic-assisted total knee replacement surgery was successfully conducted as doctors in Pune performed the path-breaking surgery on a 65-year-old man on Monday.

This surgery raised hopes of millions of patients suffering from end-stage osteoarthritis of the knee that causes severe pain and disability. Beyond a certain stage, medicines and physiotherapy do not give results and total knee replacement is the only way out for such patients.

 However, the conventional total knee replacement surgery involves an extended duration of stay in a hospital and prolonged physiotherapy. It requires cutting of bones and ligaments and chances of human error looms large.

The new technique helps in achieving accuracy and alignment of the implant.

Joint replacement surgeon Narendra Vaidya who performed the surgery said that the robotic-assisted surgery offers the patient a huge advantage of early recovery, discharge and minimal pain and blood loss as it enables the

surgeon to replace only the damaged part of the knee, while other normal structures and healthy tissues are left untouched, which is otherwise replaced in total knee replacement surgery.

The technology also exists with two more hospitals in Delhi and Hyderabad. However, the Pune-based Lokmanya Hospital has become the first in the country to use it successfully.