How Assuta Ashdod uses robots to improve surgical outcomes
Updated: Jul 14, 2023
Prof. Michael Drexler says robots are the key to a long-lasting surgery.
The head of the Orthopedic Department at Samson Assuta University Hospital, Drexler says that since he has started using a robotic arm to assist him in his hip and knee surgery, procedures are more accurate, and the risk is reduced.
For these surgeries, Drexler uses a “Mako” robot.
"For me, the robotics are for the long-term,” he says. “If you measure the success of the surgery now and in 20 years, the survival of the implant will be longer when you use the robot. Without the robot, surgery sometimes needs to be repeated after a decade. The robot gives more longevity to the joint."
“We are the only public hospital in Israel to provide this type of surgery, and you can do it through your health fund.”
Before surgery, an initial surgical plan is designed on the robot's software.
Then CT scans or 3D images are input into the system, allowing the robot to make as precise an incision as possible, reducing damage to surrounding tissue or the bone.
The robot sticks to the pre-op plan and cannot slip or move, reducing the scope for human error.
"Not every person is stable like a robot, with slight movements or tremors," Drexler explained. “The robotic assistant is going to stop these slips and make sure they do not impact the surgery, ensuring the most accurate cut.”
"For the knee, it's all a matter of one millimeter or degree. That is the difference between a good operation and a bad operation," Drexler said.
Take Shoshana’s story.
Shoshana suffered from a deformity causing bowed legs that turned inwards at nearly 28 degrees (legs standardly incline no more than three degrees.)
With the help of Drexler and his Mako robot, the surgery was performed at Assuta Ashdod. Within a few hours, Shoshana was up and walking again.
Drexler is one of the few specialists in Israel trained in the use of the robotic assistant.
“Here at Assuta Ashdod, we have two robots: one for the knee and one for the hip,” he said.
“We are the only public hospital in Israel to provide this type of surgery, and you can do it through your health fund.”