Skopje, 1 June 2023 (MIA) - The University Clinic for Traumatology, Orthopaedic Diseases, Anaesthesia, Reanimation, Intensive Care and Emergency Center - TOURALEC performed the first ever robot-assisted knee surgery on Thursday.

Surgeons from TOURALEC and Larissa General Hospital performed the surgery on a 70-year-old woman, assisted by a borrowed robot, and University Clinic director Aleksandar Trajanovski informed that the operation lasted about one hour.

"It is my pleasure to announce that we made history at the Clinic for Orthopedic Diseases by having our fist robot-assisted surgery, which is a big deal for a county as small as ours, to be side by side with world clinics and all European and world standards," the clinic director said.

Trajanovski stated that the clinic will continue to implant prostheses with this new procedure, which also minimizes errors with the help of a robot.

"So far, surgeons worked alone, and now they will be assisted by the robot, following world standards and the robot helps reduce errors,” said Trajanovski and pointed out that the clinic has excellent cooperation with the Larissa General Hospital. He thanked the Health Ministry for their support and possibility for experts from abroad to come and practice in North Macedonia.

Health Minister Fatmir Mexhiti said that the Ministry will try and procure such a robot, taking into consideration the budget.

"As Minister I want to stress my commitment to the reform agenda, and look for opportunities that initiate changes that will have an immediate impact on patients, their families, and healthcare workers," Mexhiti said.

Regarding the wait for intervention appointments, Trajanovski said that a large number of patients wait for a replacement of an artificial knee and hip, but that they dry their best to respond to the demands, as far as conditions allow.

"We will try, as much as conditions allow, although, realistically, we have three operating rooms. Sometimes we even work a second shift in order to reduce the long wait list. However, through consultations and agreements with the Health Ministry we will find a solution for the wait list. I don't think there is a patient who has waited for more than three to four months, so it is not so urgent that an operation has to be performed immediately," Trajanovski noted. ssh/ik/

Photo: MIA