Robotic arm puts life into Corkman Pat’s knee
A robotic arm has given a new lease of life to Pat O’Sullivan’s leg.
Pat, 68, from Glanmire, Cork, is one of 60 patients to benefit from cutting-edge surgery, literally, at the Bon Secours Hospital in Cork, the first in the country to offer robotic arm-assisted joint replacement surgery.
Pat O'Sullivan who had a partial knee replacement in the Bon Secours Hospital in Cork. They are the first hospital in Ireland to carry out robotic arm-assisted joint surgery. They are performing partial and total knee and hip replacements. Pat (68) is from Glanmire, Cork.
Pat had surgery in April and was back on the golf course in July and has resumed his vigorous walking regime.
His recovery time is incomparable with the time it took to get over a full knee replacement on his other knee in 2012, when it took six weeks to get off crutches and to drive. Back then, he spent five days in hospital and ended up returning for some tweaking. This time around, he was in and out within 24 hours and off crutches and back driving in just over two weeks.
"I wasn’t enjoying my golf before surgery but everything went exactly as the surgeon said it would,” he said.
Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Stephen Brennan said being able to use a robotic arm for partial knee replacement results in smaller incisions, higher accuracy of implantation, less pain, and faster rehabilitation. Mr Brennan spent a year in Brisbane completing a fellowship in robotic joint replacement surgery and is delighted the technique is now available in Cork where he is also performing total knee and total hip replacements.
While there are 14 robotic centres across Britain, the Bon Secours in Cork is still the only centre in Ireland using this Stryker Mako technology and Mr Brennan is the only surgeon using it.
The first surgery was carried out in November 2017 and approximately 60 cases have been completed since.
Mr Brennan said the robot is semi-autonomous, meaning the surgeon still holds the robot during use. Power to the motor is only active when within the planned resection area.
Mr Brennan said operating time using this technique is an extra 15 minutes but the patient is generally discharged the following day. He said anyone with severe hip or knee arthritis who is not coping well with more conservative treatment methods is suitable for this surgery.
VIDEO LINKS:
Please click here to view video - "Pioneering Robotic Arm Assisted Surgery - Mr Stephen Brennan, Orthopaedic Surgeon". To view Mr Brennans bio, please click here
Please click here to view video - "A Patients Journey following Robotic Arm Assisted Surgery - Mr Pat O'Sullivan, Patient"
