By: Natasha Archary
Netcare private hospital have introduced high-tech robots which will assist orthopaedic surgeons in knee and hip replacement surgeries.
This was confirmed by Pieter Louw, GM of Netcare Pretoria East Hospital who said there would be four robot surgeons at the hospital group soon.
The robots will provide an option for patients from Gauteng and surrounding provinces.
Currently the Netcare Pretoria East Hospital has two fully-accredited orthopaedic surgeons performing knee and hip replacement surgeries.
The robots use the Mako robotic surgery system with an advanced SmartRobotics surgical programme.
Surgeons Wian van der Merwe and Tiaan Stoffberg received comprehensive training n Istanbul, Turkey and will now head the innovation at Netcare.
In a report by iTWeb, Louw said there are three key components to the robot-assisted surgeries:
- 3D CT scan-based planning
- AccuStop technology
- Data Analytics
These 3 factors make for a more predictable and personalised orthopaedic procedure.
“We congratulate orthopaedic surgeons Dr Wian van der Merwe and Dr Tiaan Stoffberg on achieving full accreditation last year in the use of this advanced technology, for the benefit of those in need of such surgery,” says Louw.
“By the end of June, a further two orthopaedic surgeons practising at our hospital will complete the final leg of their accreditation in the use of the robotic-assisted system.”
Netcare introduced the robotic arm-assisted surgery system in 2019 at its Linksfield facility as well as the Western Cape’s Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital last year.
The private hospital network introduced the robotic-arm-assisted surgery system at Netcare Linksfield in Gauteng in 2019 and Western Cape’s Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital last year.
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