Robot to revolutionise knee replacement surgery at Nuffield Health Haywards Heath hospital

The new addition to the orthopaedic team is the NAVIO surgical system, nicknamed Quigley, a new generation robotic device which will help surgeons to be more precise in their surgery.

Mr James Gibbs, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Nuffield Health, specialises in hip and knee surgery and has led the charge to bring robotic assisted surgery to Haywards Heath.

He said: “Knee replacements are usually for people who have damaged, or very worn knee joints caused by arthritis.

"They generally have trouble doing everyday tasks and are often in pain. Replacing the knee joint can give a patient a whole new lease of life.

“During the procedure we remove the damaged joint and implant an artificial one that works in the same way. The more precise we can be in cutting and positioning the new joint, the more natural and comfortable it will feel.

“This technology is revolutionising knee replacement surgery as it enables us to more accurately determine the perfect dimensions and position of the implant. Surgeons are precise but a robotic system, which can take hundreds of thousands of measurements and map the patient’s anatomy in fine detail, takes precision to a whole new level.

“Patients will get a new joint that accurately replicates their original one in the way it feels and moves."

The Nuffield in Haywards Heath is one 13 hospitals in the country and the only one in Sussex with the ability to perform robotic-assisted knee replacements.

Roger Skipp, director of Nuffield Health Haywards Heath hospital, said: “We are leading the way in knee replacement surgery.

"Our investment in robotic assisted surgery means we can provide the best treatment options for our patients both in the local community and further afield.”

Around 100,000 knee replacements are carried out in the UK every year, and the majority are on people aged 60 to 80.

The most common reason is to replace a joint worn by osteoarthritis, and typically a knee replacement lasts around 20 years, but it's thought that a robot assisted replacement will last longer.