The Clinic for Robotic Knee and Hip Orthopedic Surgery at Metropolitan General uses state-of-the-art technology and new “bionic” materials to benefit our patients.
Metropolitan General has performed more than 6,500 operations in recent years, yielding brilliant results, published in world-wide renowned orthopedic journals. The Clinic’s scientific personnel is certified by the Royal National Orthopedic Hospital Stanmore, London UK and pursues the latest methods available in terms of knee and hip arthritis treatment protocols.
The technological revolution in prosthetic materials through biomedical engineering has led us to robotically programming our prosthetic materials to be implanted so that the new “bionic” articulation may simulate durability and normal physical movement.
The bionic knee and hip prosthetics are designed to interface with the digital domain. “Artificial intelligence” is incorporated in the patient’s joint, thus increasing the affected joint’s mobility and functions, beyond anticipated outcomes and in shorter times than we ever believed possible.
Even when we use navigation and not a robot, the patients follow a special pre-operative protocol. For example, the “bionic knee”, which is the evolution of any kind of knee, is absorbed so well by the patient’s body that it imitates the patient’s actual knee. It bends, folds and extends with no problem, it is steady, it provides safety of support, it experiences no pain and it is durable through time.
All recent studies show extended life for these prosthetic materials (exceeding 25 or even 30 years) at a rate of 90%. This makes surgery feasible for young age patients.
The operation is performed on the basis of a personalized pre-operative programming plan, to be approved or modified by the attending physician.
We thus match prosthetic materials to the anatomic morphology of the patients, and not the other way around. We do not haphazardly excise bone tissue, but we adjust the prosthesis to the bone, by replacing solely the ailing part.
In all surgical procedures, we use minimal intervention surgery that reduce muscular deterioration, minimize blood loss and achieve speedy post-operative mobilization of the patient.
Special rapid rehabilitation (fast track) protocols are used by our experienced medical staff as these start with the patient’s pre-operative training regarding the procedure. The procedures are combined with local anesthesia without the use of any opioids and are followed up with immediate patient mobilization and ambulation. A 24hour hospitalization stay completes the procedure. The patient is admitted, undergoes medical examinations and the operation; is then mobilized and leaves for his/her home within 24 hours.
Our special nursing and medical staff is at the patient’s side 24 hours a day.
Last-generation navigational sensors confirm the initial planning during surgery, while state-of-the-art technology robotic arms (made by MAKO SmartRobotics /Stryker & ROSA/ Zimmer-Biomet) execute the operation with millimeter precision.
Modern technology in the hands of the specialists!
The “smart robot” combines three distinct advantages: three-dimension pre-operative planning based on C-scan; osteotomy precision within the prescribed limits and inter-operative data analysis. Surgical error is almost zero since the robot executes no orders in “unmapped” articulation regions, not previously recorded in its memory, at the same time guaranteeing prosthetic placement precision and providing better results in all comparative studies against conventional arthroplasty.
THE ADVANTAGES
- The minimal intervention surgical technique offers:
- Smaller sections
- Undetectable postoperative scars
- Reduction of muscular deterioration
- No blood loss, or transfusions
- Reduction of surgical time
- Avoidance of catheters and drainage
- Immediate mobilization and walking due to maintaining of extensor mechanism integrity
- The rapid mobilization protocols offer:
- Minimization of complications (no inflammation, or venal thrombosis)
- Mental clarity (no dizziness or sickness)
- Minimization of postoperative pain
- 24-hour hospitalization (in case of no other concomitant disease)
- The use of the MAKO robotic system, (available at Metropolitan Hospital and Hygeia Hospital, members of HHG) the first such “potentially active” or “surgically guided” robotic system in Greece, offers:
- Adjustable three-dimension model personalized for each patient.
- Precision in the placement of femoral and tibial prosthesis while the surgeon is guided in the hip graft placement on the basis of each patient’s anatomy.
- Preservation of osseous reserves. We preserve the greatest possible bone mass. We adjust the graft to the bone, and not the bone to the graft.
- Steady knee for steady walking.
- Keeping bone marrow in excellent condition.
- Successful outcomes for all patients. Body type is not a matter at all. All body types, especially tall or medium-height persons, moderate or normal weight bodies present excellent results.
- Correction of leg length discrepancies.
- No inflammation.
- Excellent knee and hip functionality.
- Maximum patient satisfaction.
- Lengthy duration in graft life.
Thus, the “bionic knee” to be absorbed is secured just like your own natural knee and shall endure almost forever.
The patients are preoperatively informed through digital files concerning the choices in the treatment of their ailments, and observe the personalized three-dimension surgical planning. After their operation the patients receive a full portfolio with complete data on the method employed, the prosthetic materials used and their certification.
Our Clinic has been applying digital navigation systems since 2011, after many years of experience from numerous operations, and participation in European conferences, while our Clinic Director is a prime educator to new medical colleagues.
In 2019 the Clinic performed multiple knee and hip surgeries by means of the MAKO robotic system, thus rendering our Clinic as one of the first three such clinics in Greece and among the top institutions in Europe in terms of number of successful incident treatments.
Even in cases of beginning stage or mild arthritis, in which arthroplasty is not a preferred procedure, our Clinic for Robotic Knee and Hip Surgery at Metropolitan General always offers the appropriate solution, based on a special treatment algorithm, selecting personalized solutions for each one patient.
Biological treatments, approved by the European Medicinal Agency (EMA), through autologous adult stem cells in cooperation with the Department of Biology of the Athens Academy, contemporary solutions for meniscus tear (suturing, meniscal scaffolds, biological therapies, transplantations), non-traumatic methods for the rehabilitation of cruciate ligament tears and shoulder rotator cuff injuries, corrective osteotomies and cartilage transplants are performed with absolute success as they supplement the modern therapy choices offered by our Clinic.
The Director of the Clinic, Mr. Stavros Alevroyiannis, has been certified as a “Master Surgeon in Joint Replacement” by the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC), an international surgical certification organization. This accreditation confirms the excellence of his surgical procedures and his dedication to providing the highest possible level of patients care.
Staff
Chief:
Stavros Alevrogiannis, MD, PhD, Orthopedic Surgeon
Assistant:
Georgios Peppas, Orthopedic Surgeon
Associates:
Michael Tsimblakis, Orthopedic Surgeon
Maria Xanthopoulou, Anesthesiologist
Contact telephone number: +30 210 650 2169, +30 210 650 2000
