Orthopedic surgeon Dr. David Fabi performed Paradise Valley Hospital’s first robotic-assisted total knee replacement procedure early this morning at the San Diego Spine & Joint Center at Paradise Valley Hospital.
“While non-robotics-assisted knee replacement procedures are routine, robotics technology allows for a greater level of precision above traditional surgery that uses standard stand instrumentation,” said Dr. Fabi. “Eventually, I believe joint replacements will be assisted by robotic technology more and more.”
The patient was undergoing the procedure as a result of arthritis. For the total knee replacement, the patient’s bones were resurfaced where they meet at the joint. Molded metal and plastic parts are capped on the bones to replace the damaged sections that were resurfaced away. Unlike other robotics-assisted platforms, the NAVIO Surgical System does not require a pre-operative CT-scan. Instead, Dr. Fabi collected patient-specific data during the procedure to build a virtual 3D model of the patient’s knee, which was used during the surgery to customize the knee and increase precision and accuracy, affording the patient with the best possible result.
As the procedure is minimally invasive, recovery times are quicker. “With this patient, we expect her to be up and moving—with minimal pain—in a few days,” Dr. Fabi said.
“Having used robotics-assisted technology for partial knee arthroplasty before it was easy to understand how the same benefits could translate to total knee arthroplasty,” he continued. “I’m excited for the future of this technology and what it means for my patients.”