Pioneering work of team who use robot for joint replacements recognised with award
The team behind the use of a state-of-the-art new robotic surgery which is improving the experience and outcomes for patients undergoing knee and hip replacements at UHDB, while also reducing costs for the NHS, has had their pioneering work recognised by Chief Executive Stephen Posey.
Royal Derby Hospital is believed to be the first centre in the East Midlands to incorporate the use of the MAKO robot into practice as part of the RACER clinical trial - which assesses the benefits of this cutting-edge technology in lower limb joint replacement surgery.
Patients undergoing MAKO-assisted surgery initially undergo a CT scan on their hip or knee joint, which with the help of sophisticated technology and computer programming, creates a personalised, highly detailed image and care plan. These images are then made available to clinicians during surgery to give them a detailed picture of the joint they are operating on, as well as being fed through the robot itself to assist the surgeon to make incisions with millimetric precision when fitting a new joint prosthetic, leading to better outcomes and improved rates of recovery.
Mr Simon Pickering, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, and Mr Conal Quah, Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon, are advocates for research in the Trauma and Orthopaedic department and were delighted when it was announced the robot would be used at Royal Derby Hospital to help deliver more accurate, less invasive surgery, reduced recovery times, and improved outcomes for patients.
Mr Quah said: "We are always looking to explore and be involved in research so when this opportunity came up, we were keen to implement the robot and see what value it could add to our patients.
"STRYKER, the company which manufactures the robot, was looking to recruit good centres to get the best results and here in Derby we have a good track record for orthopaedics so we were lucky enough to secure it."
Since UHDB welcomed the machine in November 2022 the robot has been used for around 70 procedures, which due to the highly precise surgery it is able to offer, is hoped can increase the longevity of new joint prosthetics, which in turn helps to save the costs for repeat procedures and care for wider NHS and the Trust. The MAKO robot is also proving an attraction for those who are training in the same field.
Mr Quah added: "It's part of our organisational strategy to do more research and to expose trainees to that because they are going to be the workforce driving things forward in the future and the trainees have really embraced this technology with great enthusiasm.
"Having exciting new kit like the MAKO robot is a real motivation and inspiration for colleagues in orthopaedics to reach further heights in research and education."
Stephen Posey, Chief Executive of UHDB, presented the team with his CEO Making a Difference Award and praised the ongoing work to implement this new technology and improve what is on offer to our patients.
Stephen said: "To be able to offer this innovative treatment at UHDB is credit to the hard work of the team that applied to be part of this trial and has worked hard to learn how to use this new piece of kit, to be able to implement it successfully and offer exceptional care to our patients.
"There is real value in looking at how we can improve and advance our offering here which will have benefits for our patients and be more cost effective, a key commitment for us as a Trust. On behalf of myself and the Board, thank you for all you do."
Mr Pickering said there has been a lot of hard work behind the scenes and it has been a collective effort to learn how to make the most of the new technology and to use it so efficiently.
He said: "It’s been a real team effort to get to this point so it's nice for us all to be recognised with this award. I'm pleased we've been able to demonstrate to colleagues the innovative work we are doing here."