Brighton man undergoes "innovative" knee replacement surgery

Chris Ives, 74, said severe osteoarthritis in both knees was impacting his quality of life

A man from Brighton said he feels "delighted, privileged, and lucky" to have undergone robotic-assisted knee replacement surgery.

Chris Ives, 74, is one of the first patients to receive the "innovative" procedure at the Sussex Orthopaedic Centre in Haywards Heath.

Mr Ives opted to have the surgery after more than a decade of pain due to severe osteoarthritis.

He is recovering and hoping to have the same procedure on his right knee.

Prior to the surgery on his left knee, Mr Ives said he kept putting off getting treatment despite suffering from restricted movement.

"I just couldn't continue anymore", he said. "I had severe arthritis in both knees and it was my choice to which one would be replaced first but it was inevitable it needed to be done.

"But I put it off and put it off. It got to the point where I was struggling with simple day to day things like walking and was having to take regular breaks."

He had his operation at the treatment centre at the Princess Royal Hospital - the first NHS hospital in the south east to offer Mako robot technology for knee replacements.

Mr Ives was one of the first patients at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust to be offered robotic-assisted knee replacement surgery

Using the robotic arm, surgeons are able to make far more precise bone cuts, preventing damage to soft tissues in the knee joint, and to liaise more closely with clinical colleagues in the operating room.

Majid Chowdhry, consultant orthopaedic surgeon, performed Mr Ives' operation.

He said: "We're able to put in the same implant that we've been using for many years here. We're just able to put them in now with a lot more information and detail.

"Using motion sensors during the operation, you can further fine-tune the position of your implants to make them optimal for that patient. The robot arm helps us to be able to make precise cuts with safe boundaries."

Majid Chowdhry said the technology used gives better results for patients in the longer term

Mr Ives said he is looking forward to "regaining more mobility" and being able to do "more physical activities" than before.

The hospital's director, Christopher Ashcroft, said he hopes to expand the service to include hip replacement surgery in the future.

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