FIRST ROBOT-ASSISTED KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY SUCCESSFULLY PERFORMED

BANJA LUKA, AUGUST 20 /SRNA/ - A surgical team of the Orthopaedics and Traumatology Clinic at the Republika Srpska University Clinical Centre /UCC/ has successfully performed a knee replacement procedure with the assistance of a surgical robot, marking a significant step forward in modern orthopaedics.

Dr Vladimir Anđić said that the Orthopaedics and Traumatology Clinic was the first medical institution in this part of the region to perform any type of robotic surgery.

"The robot we have is the latest generation and offers several advantages. One of them is that we do not need to perform additional diagnostic procedures before surgery, such as a CT scan with 3D reconstruction. Instead, the robot uses its sensors and mechanisms to create a three-dimensional image of the limb," Anđić said.

He explained that this makes it possible to position the implants being fitted as close as possible to the patient's anatomical position before the surgery.

Anđić added that the aim is not merely to relieve the patient of pain, but also to enable them to feel as natural as possible after the operation.

UCC Director General Nikola Šobot said at a press conference that the new technology would raise the level of services provided by the Clinic of Orthopaedics.

"We have started, and this is one of the first steps in robotic surgery. I am certain it will not be the last. This clinic will perform new surgeries and procedures," Šobot said.

Dr Nemanja Tomić said that knee replacement surgeries have been successfully performed at the Clinic of Orthopaedics for 20 years, noting that prostheses and their design have evolved considerably during that period.

"In the past, they were less durable and of lower quality. With the introduction of robot-assisted surgery, we have a new concept of prostheses, which means that we are much faster and more precise during the procedure, while errors have been reduced to less than one millimetre," Tomić said.

The press conference also highlighted a significant professional achievement by Dr Stanko Panić of the Clinic of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, who has been appointed president of the prestigious AO Foundation's AO Trauma association branch for BiH, which represents recognition of his professional expertise and teamwork, as well as that the UCC clinic confirms referentiality in the region.