Chennai, Aug 4: MGM Healthcare Malar, Adyar has successfully performed a robot-assisted simultaneous bilateral total knee replacement on an 81-year-old patient suffering from severe osteoarthritis with deformity and multiple comorbidities.
The patient’s prevailing knee pain had worsened in the last few months, and she had increasingly become dependent on others. When it became extremely difficult even to take a single step, and became bedridden, she approached various hospitals. Considering her age and comorbidities, she was put on medications.
However, when she was admitted to MGM Healthcare Malar, Adyar doctors diagnosed her with severe bilateral knee osteoarthritis. She had advanced bone-on-bone degeneration in both knee joints, with complete loss of cartilage, chronic pain, and significant structural deformity. Both knees had developed a 12-degree fixed flexion deformity, meaning they remained bent by 12 degrees even when she attempted to straighten them fully.
The patient also had severe comorbidities including diabetes, coronary artery disease, a respiratory infection, and severe anemia. However, a medical team headed by Dr. Shriram Krishnamoorthy, Senior Consultant, Orthopaedics, Joint Replacement & Robotic Surgery performed the high-risk surgery successfully.
A multidisciplinary team comprising of experts from Orthopaedics, Pulomonology, Cardiology, Internal Medicine and Anaesthesiology worked together to optimise the patient’s condition before surgery.
The team performed the surgery along with the assistance of a computer-guided robotic arm to ensure uttermost precision and accuracy. The surgery was supported by Dr. Sheetal Suresh, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, and Dr. Vidya Mohanram, Senior Consultant & Head, Anaesthesiology.
Following the surgery, the severe structural deformity of her knees was corrected, restoring the alignment to within 2 degrees of the neutral mechanical axis. The patient started walking without support within a couple of days.
The patient also received comprehensive multidisciplinary post-operative care, including physiotherapy, anticoagulation, diabetic management, respiratory care, nutritional support, and additional blood transfusions to address post-operative anaemia.
Dr. Shriram Krishnamoorthy said,
"This operation was particularly challenging because of the patient’s age and her comorbid conditions. After stabilizing her condition, we proceeded with the surgery to improve her quality of life. We replaced both knees in a single sitting to reduce the overall surgical time. Also, the operation lasted no longer than two hours. We used a robotic arm to ensure precision. The patient, who was struggling even to take a single step, is now walking independently."
Mr. Venugopal Bhat, Chief Operating Officer & Vice President (Group) – Strategic Initiatives, MGM Healthcare Malar, Adyar, said,
"The successful robotic-assisted surgery reflects our commitment to providing advanced healthcare services to the public. By combining advanced technology with multidisciplinary expertise, we continue to deliver the best possible outcomes while reducing hospital stay, lowering the risk of infections, and enabling faster recovery for our patients."