Hospital in Austria uses robot to improve knee surgery outcomes

Klinikum Wels-Grieskirchen in Austria became the first hospital in the world to use a robot named Robin for knee operations.

Björn Rath, the head of orthopedics at the hospital, says the robot analyzes and aligns the knee continuously during surgery. This technology helps surgeons treat patients based on their unique anatomy rather than aligning the joint in an unnatural way. Rath says this method allows patients to move faster and experience less pain after the procedure.

Dietmar Gomba, a 60-year-old retiree, received a robotic knee replacement to treat long-term pain. Gomba reported that he could no longer sleep through the night without medication for 15 years before the surgery. The procedure improved his quality of life, and the hospital noted that the current waiting time for a prosthetic knee in Wels is about one year.