Media Release

(17 May 2021 - Hong Kong) Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong’s (Gleneagles) Joint Replacement Centre is dedicated to providing effective and innovative treatments to patients with joint problems. Recently the Centre has successfully introduced advanced Robotic Arm-Assisted Joint Replacement technology, facilitating enhanced precision and safety, quicker patient recovery and improved implant survivorship.

Gleneagles established the Joint Replacement Centre in late 2018 to provide comprehensive treatment and care for patients. Dr Kenneth Tsang, Chief Executive Officer of Gleneagles, said, “The Centre has performed over 730 joint replacement surgeries since its launch. We have been striving to enhance our treatments for patients, and by introducing the latest robotic arm-assisted technology for joint replacement, surgery precision is further improved with shorter hospital stay, less postoperative pain and lower surgical revision rates. A robotic arm-assisted surgery was recently performed with excellent clinical outcomes and high patient satisfaction.” “Through the team’s rich experience, excellent clinical outcomes and price transparency, we hope to provide an additional option for patients in need and help alleviate the burden on orthopaedic surgeries in public hospitals in the long run”, Dr Tsang added.

Speaking on the overall development of the hospital, Dr Tsang said, “Looking ahead, on top of our continuous efforts to introduce more advanced techniques and treatment solutions, we will continue to explore the application of innovative technologies in various service areas, gradually building up more digital platforms to enhance interaction with patients to improve patient experience, as well as further promoting telemedicine service.”

Robotic system enhances preoperative planning and precision of bone removal

Patients suffering from arthritis can develop symptoms such as pain, swelling, stiffness, appearance distortion, and reduced flexibility. Of these, knee arthritis is the most common and if not treated properly in time, the patients’ mobility can be permanently impaired. While knee replacement surgery is one of the possible treatments to cure the problem, conventional surgery relies greatly on the surgeon’s experience and the risk of some deviation exists during the bone removal process.

Dr Yan Chun-hoi, Director of the Joint Replacement Centre at Gleneagles, said, “Adopting the innovative robotic arm-assisted technology, bone removal can be performed more precisely. Conventionally, bone removal and implant placement are done manually, resulting in possible deviation during the procedure. The use of robotic arm technology allows enhanced preoperative planning, and the three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) scans enable doctors to have a more specific and accurate planning on the size and position of the implant based on the patient’s actual condition. During the surgery, a tracker is placed over the relevant bones and the patient’s bones are registered to match with the preoperative CT images. The robotic arm is only active when the surgeon operates within the predefined area, allowing more precision in bone removal and lower risk of injuring surrounding structures.”

Biological implant facilitates faster patient recovery and improves implant survivorship

Another advantage of the robotic arm technology is about soft-tissues balancing. Since there are ligaments around the knee, the use of a robotic arm can help doctors maintain the balance of the ligaments and speed up patient recovery. Dr Yan continued, “We use bone cement implants in joint replacement surgeries conventionally, and surgical tourniquets are required during the surgery to reduce bleeding, yet the patient will suffer more postoperative pain. In robotic arm-assisted surgeries, the holes on the biological implants (or cementless implants) facilitate bones to grow gradually, resulting in stronger joints and longer service life of the artificial joints. The use of biological implants requires very precise bone removal, which is achieved by the robotic arm-assisted technology. Moreover, as tourniquets are no longer needed during the surgery, postoperative pain in patients can be minimised.

Surgeries leveraging the robotic arm system at Gleneagles is applicable to total knee replacement, partial knee replacement and total hip replacement. In general, most patients with joint problems are suitable for robotic surgery. Dr Yan reminded that patients should discuss with doctors to choose the treatment suitable for them based on their actual condition.

Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong

Located at Wong Chuk Hang on Hong Kong Island South, Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong (Gleneagles) is a multi-specialty private hospital, providing 500 beds, cutting-edge medical technologies and a comprehensive range of clinical services spanning more than 35 specialties and subspecialties. As Hong Kong’s top-notch private teaching hospital, Gleneagles also contributes to the training and development of healthcare professionals and advancement of clinical research.

Gleneagles is a joint venture between IHH Healthcare and NWS Holdings Limited, with The University of Hong Kong as its exclusive clinical partner. Gleneagles is a member of IHH Healthcare, one of the largest healthcare groups in the world. IHH Healthcare is devoted to providing comprehensive medical services with its dedicated team, influential group and scale, as well as commitment to quality and safety, and hopes to become the most trusted medical service organization in the world. IHH Healthcare upholds the belief: to touch lives and transform care. For more information, please visit https://gleneagles.hk/.