A PRIVATE hospital in Edinburgh is the first in Scotland to introduce advanced robotics during surgery which could transform hip and knee replacement surgery.

The groundbreaking Stryker Mako Robotic Arm, which costs almost £1 million, means surgeons at Spire Murrayfield Hospital can customise operations to patients with the use of a personalised implant.

It also allows surgeons to remove only the diseased part of the bone, preserving healthy bone and soft tissue. The innovative technology aims to speed up recovery as well as reduce pain and the time needed to be spent in hospital.

The pre-surgery preparation and alterations throughout the operation means patients could eventually go home on the same day as surgery.

Mr James Patton, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Spire Murrayfield, said: “This is a significant breakthrough for knee and hip surgery. Not only does the introduction of Mako robotics mean I can personalise every operation to suit each patient – it also allows me to make alterations mid- operation that couldn’t be made using traditional surgical methods.”

The surgeon, who trained on the Stryker Mako in Australia and Germany, believes using the robot could dramatically cut the number of full knee replacements needed as more patients will be able to undergo partial knee replacements which are more difficult to perform.