The surgery was performed following the direction and encouragement of Prakash Abitkar, minister of public health; and Dr Nipun Vinayak, secretary, public health department, Government of Maharashtra.
According to officials, the patient was a known case of osteoarthritis and was admitted to the hospital on Thursday last week. He was suffering from severe knee pain in the right leg and required advanced surgical intervention. From the past six to seven years, he was facing difficulty walking and had been left nearly crippled.
The procedure was performed by the orthopaedic team led by Dr Nagnath Yampalle, Pune district civil surgeon and orthopaedic specialist. The surgical team included Dr Anil Santpure, Dr Mahendra Garad, Dr Anil Bihade and Dr Amit Banshelekikar.
Furthermore, the doctors were supported by anaesthesiologists Dr Keshav Gutte, Dr Balaji Kadam, Dr Shoaib Shaikh, Dr Jayashree Mannur, and Dr Prachi Uttarwar. Additionally, nursing staff, including Nanda Thombre and the entire operation theatre team, played a key role in ensuring that the procedure was completed safely.
Dr Yempalle said that the robotic-assisted technique is considered more precise and minimally invasive, and was completed smoothly by the team. "The procedure took around one-and-a-half hours, and the patient is stable. In robotic-assisted surgery, bone cuts are guided by a robotic arm based on 3D mapping of the patient's anatomy. The procedure was successful, and the patient will be discharged after two to three days," he said.
The robotic technology and implants used for the surgery were provided by Meril Company under the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY). The use of robotic assistance allows for higher accuracy, faster recovery and reduced post-operative pain, officials said.