One of the most advanced robots in the world, equipped with an infrared camera and optical trackers for precise and expedited knee replacement surgery, has been brought to Maldives where it was used by ADK Hospital for the first robotic surgery in Maldives yesterday.
ADK Managing Director Ahmed Afaal told Mihaaru News today that the first robotic surgery in Maldives and a second operation took place at the hospital yesterday.
According to him, there will be more operations at ADK today as well.
"The name of the robot we acquired for the operation is called VELYS. It is one of the most advanced robots for such an operation," said Afaal.
The managing director went on to say that with the use of VELYS for such operations, Maldives has become the second South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nation to make use of the technology, with the first being India.
"No other country in the SAARC nations aside from India and Maldives has made use of the robot for knee replacement services. Maldives used the robot for the first and second time yesterday in replacing a person's knee," said Afaal.
He continued, stating that making use of the robot for the surgery would increase the "precision" by a great margin. Surgery time will decrease and recovery rate will increase, which will result in less days the patient has to spend in the hospital, said Afaal.
"This will reduce the number of days it will take for the patient to go back to their daily lives. This is the most important aspect of making use of the robot for this service. This will serve as a source of relief for those who want to undergo knee replacement surgery," according to the Managing Director.
He said that making use of the robot for the surgery will decrease the time the patient has to spend in the hospital from seven days to around four days. The robot's calculations and cutting being accurate results in about a 25 percent reduction in the time the patient has to endure to feel relief, highlighted Afaal.
While the first robotic surgery took place in ADK yesterday, the robot being operated by a Maldivian doctor is also a historic occasion. The robot was operated by orthopedist Dr. Hussain Shakeel.
Equipped with an infrared camera and optical trackers, VELYS is a product of Johnson and Johnson MedTech. As the use of the robot for surgeries becomes a common sight, Afaal said that he hopes the waiting list for knee replacement surgery in Maldives sees some relief.
