Telephone: 07 5527 1818 Fax: 07 5526 4788
www.dr-andrew-letchford.com.au
Dr Andrew Letchford is among the first surgeons in Australia to offer patients
the revolutionary Robotic Arm Assisted Surgery. A leading name in arthroplasty
(joint replacement), knee reconstructions, sports injuries and acute orthopaedic
trauma, he is breaking new ground with the RoboticArm Assisted Surgery for
partial knee replacements.
This ground-breaking procedure is available at Pindara Private Hospital,
part of the Ramsay Group. Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery is a robotic arm
and associated computer software used during a partial knee replacement, a
procedure designed to relieve the pain caused by joint degeneration due to
osteoarthritis in one or two compartments of the knee.
By selectively targeting the part of your knee damaged by osteoarthritis, Dr
Letchford can replace the diseased part of your knee while helping to spare the
healthy bone and ligaments surrounding it. The Robotic Arm Assisted Surgery
software provides Dr Letchford with a 3D model specific to your knee which he
uses to pre-plan your partial knee replacement. The use of this specific plan allows
him to remove only the diseased bone, preserving healthy bone and soft tissue, and
assists in positioning the implant based on your unique anatomy.
“Robotic Arm Assisted Surgery affords us absolute accuracy,” said Dr Letchford.
“The surgeon’s hand is guiding the arm, however we cannot go outside the
boundaries we have set. It is accurate to 0.2 millimetres. It means that post-operatively,
because we are creating a much smaller incision, the patients recover
a whole lot quicker. It used to be that this type of surgery required a patient to be in
hospital for about a week. With this new procedure my patients are routinely going
home on the second day after surgery. When they come back to see me two weeks
after surgery, they are moving more normally, with a much wider range of motions.”
TIPS TO IMPROVE
Orthopaedic Health
50 percent of age related joint degeneration is
thought to be related to disuse. So keep in mind the
old adage of use it or lose it, is pertinent here.
Maintaining muscle strength prevents abnormal and
dysynchronous joint movement which leads to
rapid, sometimes exponential joint degeneration,
same as in any mechanical setting. So maintaining
muscle strength is imperative in reducing joint wear.
Excess body mass makes joint reaction forces
larger, so try to keep to a healthy weight range. Be
as fit and healthy as you can while maintaining a
happy and healthy lifestyle.
Appropriate exercise is important, so run if you can,
when you can’t run, walk, when you can’t walk,
swim, when you can’t swim, cycle. At age 50 many
peoples knees don’t like running but walking,
swimming and cycling are effective substitutes.
Finding a low impact exercise that works for you is
the key.
All of the above is much easier if it is done in a fun
friendly environment. There is a quote in Christopher
McCandless’s story ‘Into the Wild’ that is apt: “Happiness
isn’t real unless it is shared”. So organise yourself to be
with a group of friends and find a common shared love of
exercise or some form of energy burning activity. This will
turn a resolution into a permanent lifestyle choice.
JOINT EFFORT
Dr Andrew Letchford | Orthopaedic Surgeon