HÀ NỘI — Bạch Mai hospital in Hà Nội on Wednesday started using robotic systems for joint and neurological surgeries, making it the first medical facility in Việt Nam to employ the technology.

The equipment is made by MAKO and ROSA, the two leading brands in the surgical robot market.

On the first day, the hospital used the robots to perform partial knee replacement operations on three patients and neurosurgeries on two patients, all free of cost.

Đào Xuân Thành, deputy head of the hospital’s trauma and orthopaedic department, said the robot-assisted surgeries were done with more precision, smaller incisions, less blood loss, less pain, and would have a quicker healing time.

Previously, patients who required partial knee joint replacement surgery had to replace the whole knee joint, but now, with the help of robots, doctors can replace only the part of the joint that is damaged.

Nguyễn Thế Hào, head of the hospital’s neurological operation department, said the department used the robotics system to perform surgeries on two patients, including a five-year-old.

Neurological surgeries require extreme precision, and the robots help doctors define the exact spot of injury where surgery is needed, which will minimise post-operative complications. The technology will also enable surgeons to perform surgeries on “difficult” parts of the brain, he said.

Since 1980, robots have been used to assist in laparoscopic surgeries in many countries, including the US, Japan and Republic of Korea.

Bạch Mai hospital is one of Việt Nam’s largest medical facilities. Founded in 1911, it now handles around 1.4 million patients per year. It is also one of the leading scientific research and training centres in the country. — VNS