Wels hospital becomes first worldwide to use a robot in knee surgery

Wels-Grieskirchen Hospital is the first hospital in the world to use a robot during knee operations, ORF reported. The system, called Robin, continuously analyses and aligns the knee during surgery. About 70 procedures have been performed so far.

The technology allows treatment to be tailored to each patient and is intended to shorten recovery. Patients become mobile sooner and have less pain, according to Björn Rath, head of orthopaedics at the hospital. Patients have also reported feeling that their knees are stable and natural.

Rath said knee operations were previously often aimed at making the joint unnaturally straight. The current approach places greater emphasis on natural anatomy, and the analysis allows doctors to assess how the knee moves before and after surgery.

Dietmar Gomba, a 60-year-old pensioner, said the operation had significantly improved his quality of life. After 15 years of being unable to sleep through the night without painkillers, he can now sleep without pain.

The waiting time for an artificial knee joint in Wels is about a year.