Our Hip and Knee Surgeon Dr Tony Spriggins recently shared his expertise and experience in robotic knee surgery by chairing a masterclass for orthopaedic surgeons at decorated Australian public teaching hospital, Royal North Shore, in Sydney earlier this month.
Dr Spriggins along with International and Domestic Faculty Dr Alberto Grigori (UK) and Dr Michael McAuliffe (QLD) respectively, were invited to the Sydney Clinical Skills & Simulation Centre at Royal North Shore Hospital by global medical technology specialists, Smith & Nephew, to host and teach a professional education course utilising the revolutionary robotic NAVIO, JOURNEY UNI and JOURNEY PFJ Knee Systems.
The course provided practicing knee surgeons with intensive instructional and hand-on experience detailing the current trends and advances in robotic knee surgery.
Established orthopaedic specialists with significant experience in total knee replacement surgery and previous NAVIO system training from around Australia attended the masterclass where they learnt how to do the following:
- Discuss and debate contemporary topics in robotic surgery
- Demonstrate the results of those discussions during the cadaver workshops
- Map and recreate a 3D representation of a patient’s anatomy using the NAVIO Robot
- Create a precise surgical plan and achieve a well-balanced knee
- Use multiple robotic modes that create accurate and repeatable bone resurfacing
- Utilise the JOURNEY UNI Knee System effectively and safely
- Employ the course content and instructional training to further their surgical practice.
Delegates were also given general overviews of the NAVIO, JOURNEY UNI and JOURNEY PFJ systems along with presentations and demonstrations on refining techniques, partial knee replacement benefits and challenges, patient selection and tips and tricks.
“The feedback Smith & Nephew have received from a number of attendees has been extremely positive,” Dr Spriggins said.
“I was pleased to hear from Catherine Mosely, the Professional Education Lead of Orthopaedics at Smith & Nephew, that attendees found the course to be a professionally rewarding and enjoyable experience that provided them with the opportunity to improve their skills and understanding of the NAVIO Surgical System.”
Dr Spriggins, who was responsible for implementing the NAVIO platform at sportsmed, performed the first robotic-assisted partial knee replacement with the ground-breaking technology in South Australia in November 2015.
Created by Blue Belt Technologies, the NAVIO Surgical System provides orthopaedic surgeons with accurate and precise robotic guidance when operating on the knee and inserting an implant.
The NAVIO robot offers patients suffering with knee pain as a result of osteoarthritis the potential to experience a number of benefits. Possible benefits include:
- Reduced knee pain
- Quicker rehabilitation and recovery
- Improved knee mechanics
- Lower risk of complications
- Shorter hospital stay.
The NAVIO System will soon extend it’s capability to treat total knee replacements, with revision knee procedures and hip arthroscopy also scheduled in the near future.
Dr Spriggins along with fellow sportsmed Knee Specialists Dr Adrian Bauze, Dr Rob Wallace and Dr Shahram Shahrokhi are trained to utilise the NAVIO robot.
Patients who are interested in the NAVIO Surgical System and whether they are suitable for treatment are encouraged to contact our orthopaedics team on 08 8362 7788.