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Earlier this month, Michael Clair became the first patient to undergo a robot-assisted total knee replacement surgery at William Osler Health System’s Brampton Civic Hospital.
The much-anticipated new robotic surgical assistant – ROSA, for short – is a welcome addition to the surgical team at Brampton Civic. One of approximately 10 ROSA® Knee Systems in use in hospitals across the country, it offers advanced technology that uses real-time information to assist surgeons with precise placement of knee implants based on a patient’s unique knee anatomy.
Clair said hearing about the benefits of the ROSA – less pain, less chance of complications after surgery and quicker recovery time – helped alleviate some of the anxiety he had leading up to the big day. That, and the fact that he had “full confidence” in his surgeon, Dr. John Harrington, Corporate Division Head, Orthopaedic Surgery at Osler, along with the nurses and other key members of the team.
Clair’s case was the first of three ROSA surgeries scheduled for June 13 and there was an air of excitement among the team as he was wheeled into the operating room just after 8:00 a.m.
Dr. Harrington was clearly still in the pilot’s seat, leading the surgery as he would with a traditional knee replacement, only this time with ROSA as his trusted navigator. “The analogy I use is it’s like being in a plane that has a top of the line weather radar system,” explained Dr. Harrington. “You can see better and have more information to safely get the plane where it needs to go.”
The robotic system helps guide and adjust cuts using optical trackers and a mini-camera (think GPS system) to determine the position of a patient’s knee and ensure greater accuracy in the placement of the knee implant.
“The first few surgeries exceeded expectations,” said Dr. Harrington, who has performed more than 3,000 knee replacement surgeries in his lifetime. “They were fast and efficient and went as well, or better, than I could’ve anticipated.”
Clair, 60, was discharged from hospital the same day, returning to his Acton home with his wife Kim, who is supporting his recovery. “My wife has had two hip replacements, so she’s been through this and will be working from home to help me get through it,” he said.
For Clair, who will need to have his other knee replaced as well, this surgery is the first step toward a new life – one where he will be able to kneel, walk up stairs and, once again, enjoy activities like golfing and going for a bike ride without pain. This is particularly important to Clair as he looks ahead to retirement after a long career as an HVAC technician.
It was actually on the job 29 years ago that his knee issues began, when he tore the meniscus in a freak accident. “I went to turn, and, as I turned, my foot caught the bottom of a boiler,” he said. “My foot stayed put but my knee turned and I heard a pop. My boss looked at me and said, ‘What was that?’ I said ‘That was my knee’.”
Years of wear and tear from constant walking up and down stairs, unavoidable in his line of work, combined with advanced arthritis in both knees, led him to the realization that a full knee replacement was his best option for a better quality of life. “It was definitely something I felt was worth doing,” he said.
And Clair isn’t alone.
Last year at Osler, 1,262 knee replacement surgeries were performed – a number that is expected to increase as the hospital continues to recover from the impacts of the pandemic, and to grow and enhance its expertise through the implementation of innovative technologies like ROSA.
Dr. Harrington said he plans to use ROSA for 100 per cent of primary (first-time) knee replacement surgeries, and is already looking ahead to the possibility of adding new modules to include other types of knee, as well as hip surgeries in the future.
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