Customised designs for knee replacement surgery

Hospital claims 98-99 % success

Knee replacement surgery is something which you opt when you and your surgeon have exhausted all non-surgical measures for treating your knee pain and inflammation. Knee replacement is a fairly routine procedure but in most cases it is skill of the surgeon that is critical to the success of a reconstruction surgery. Most replacements take time as the surgeon has to visually calculate the bone cuts for the implant once he has cut open the knee. This results in the surgeon needing to make a bigger incision to access the bone. As the bone anatomy is unique for each person, the cuts that fit the replacement vary as knee replacement implants come in standard sizes. Hence the surgeon has to adapt to the bone to ensure that the implant is a fit. This takes skill and precision. If the implant is misaligned it will cause the implant to fail and result in the patient having to go in for a revision surgery which is even more complex and results in more bone loss.

Although traditional total knee replacement surgeries have a high success rate, Smith & Nephew’s drive to better the experience during and after surgery resulted in a continuous endeavour to improve orthopaedic joint replacement surgery with devices and instruments to create better patient outcomes.

“Smith and Nephew total knee replacement surgery is done to relieve pain, improve joint stability, improve alignment and correct bone deformity, maximise quality of life and to optimise activities of daily living. It is the only knee surgery which promises a success rate of 98-99 per cent. This surgery is mostly done to the older sections of the society as in people above 50 years of age and very rarely to youngsters,” says Dr Akhil Dadi, chairman and MD of Srikara Super Speciality Hospital.

Visionaire is a revolutionary new technology for knee replacement surgery which utilises patient’s MRI and X-Rays to design and create customised surgical cutting blocks based on their unique anatomy. Surgeons upload patient’s MRI’s and X-Rays into Smith & Nephew’s advanced web-based software. The software then maps out the patient’s anatomy and re-establishes the true alignment. Specific cutting blocks are created that match the outer shape and contours of the patient’s knee joint bones. The software also calculates the implant size.

The custom-designed cutting blocks guide the orthopaedic surgeons to precisely position the knee implant during surgery, avoiding misalignment which can potentially lead to early implant failure. Moreover, it is less invasive than other options, incurring fewer traumas to the knee.

Before this surgery, one thing you should probably ask your doctor is about the implant you will be receiving and what is it made of. “Usually stainless steel cobalt chromium implants are used, but it is better to use Oxanium implants as it is light weight and about 4,900 times abrasion-resistant than cobalt chrome, reducing wear by as much as 85 per cent in lab testing, potentially extending the life of the implant. Oxinium contains no traceable nickel and chromium, making these implants one of the most hypoallergenic replacement joints,” added Dr Akhil Dadi.

The surgery is 45 minutes long and costs around Rs 2-2.5 lakh.

“As of now Srikara Super Speciality Hospital does not cover the surgery expenses of the patients by any government scheme. But we are one of the hospitals in India where 1,000 patients undergo this surgery annually,” the doctor concludes.