Canada’s second orthopedic surgical robot is right here in Halifax

Canada's second orthopedic surgical robot is right here in Halifax.

The QEII Health Sciences Centre now has an innovative robotic arm that Nova Scotia Health says will result in “unprecedented precision” during hip and knee surgeries, because the procedure can be personalized to an individual patient.

It will start being used for partial and total knee replacements later this fall before being expanded to hip joint replacements.

“Having this piece of technology will revolutionize the way we provide orthopedic care for Nova Scotians,” said orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael Dunbar in a news release.

“For the first time, using this surgical robot, we're able to investigate and precisely replace a joint that is tailored to the patient, by being able to adapt the surgical plan based on their unique skeletal shape and soft tissue envelope. Paired with our research study, what we learn will benefit many people in the future.”

According to Nova Scotia Health, early research indicates the new technology could mean less pain, a quicker recovery, a shorter hospital stay and more natural-feeling movement for a patient, but this still needs to be definitively proven.

Dunbar's team, including Dr. Glen Richardson and Dr. Janie Wilson, will be studying the efficacy of robotics in hip and knee surgeries. This system, the Mako SmartRobotics by Stryker, creates precise data at the time of surgery and the team will evaluate patient outcomes.

“We've developed an ecosystem that brings biomedical technology and clinical studies together to understand particular aspects of patient outcomes that aren't possible without that technology,” added Dr. Janie Wilson, the director of Dalhousie University's School of Biomedical Engineering.

“The robotic technology will now allow us to leverage the knowledge we've developed from years of research by allowing us to develop and validate precise surgical plans that are specific to the needs, the anatomy, and the function of the individual patient.”

The cutting-edge technology is thanks to a $2.5-million investment from QEII Foundation donors.

This isn't the first surgical robot in use at the QEII Health Sciences Centre.

In 2019, it started using robotics technology for urological and gynecological cancer surgeries, which was then expanded to ear, nose and throat (ENT) cancer surgeries.

And last year, the Halifax hospital became the first in Canada to use new robotic technology for brain surgery.

“Nova Scotia Health is now a leader in surgical robotics,” said Dr. Gail Tomblin Murphy, Nova Scotia Health's vice president of research, innovation and discovery.

“Having this innovative technology – and this innovative surgical team – is key to our ability as a province to be a magnet that attracts and retains bright minds and top talent.”