Hyderabad hospital offers robotic joint surgery at lower cost

Mythri Hospitals is using the MISSO EDGE Robotic System for total knee, partial knee and total hip replacements at its new Attapur branch.

Hyderabad: A Hyderabad hospital has begun offering robotic-assisted knee and hip replacement surgery at a lower premium than is typically charged for the technology, with over 100 patients having undergone the procedure since the programme became operational in May.

Mythri Hospitals, a 250-bed super-speciality facility with branches in Attapur and Aramgarh, is using the MISSO EDGE Robotic System, designed in South Korea and manufactured in India by Meril Life Sciences, for total knee, partial knee and total hip replacements at its new Attapur branch.

The system uses a pre-operative CT scan to generate a three-dimensional surgical plan specific to each patient’s anatomy. A six-axis robotic arm, an optical tracking system and custom cutting guides then execute bone cuts with an accuracy of up to one millimetre, according to the hospital. The procedure remains surgeon-guided throughout and the robot operates only under the surgeon’s active direction, stopping the moment the surgeon pauses.

Cost of procedure

Robotic assistance adds approximately Rs 50,000 to the cost of a joint replacement at Mythri, according to the hospital, which says this is lower than the premium typically charged for the technology at larger corporate facilities.

The hospital is insurance-empanelled. It has been in operation for over 15 years and holds accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH).

Patient outcomes

The hospital says most patients have been able to walk on the day of surgery and have been discharged the following day. Robotic-assisted surgery is designed to address dissatisfaction rates associated with conventional joint replacement. The hospital cites studies suggesting roughly 30 per cent of patients are dissatisfied with conventional procedures, a gap it attributes to variability in implant alignment and bone-cut accuracy.

The implants used carry a manufacturer-stated lifespan of 20 to 25 years.

One of the doctors responsible for this service is Dr Abid Ali Khan, an orthopaedic surgeon who completed postgraduate training at Kamineni Institute of Medical Sciences in 2023 and subsequently did a one-year fellowship in robotic joint surgery. He has published peer-reviewed work in the field and is supported by a four-member orthopaedic team.

“Our goal has always been to bring world-class treatment within reach of our patients and make robotic surgery affordable,” Dr Khan said.

Dr Khaleelullah, head of the orthopaedics department at Mythri, sought to address a common concern among patients. “The robot only aids the surgeon and is not a replacement for a well-experienced hand,” he said.