Theatre & Robotics
Robotic systems, navigation, AI-assisted surgical planning, implant positioning.
Posts in this pillar answer: what does this mean for how I operate?
If you have done a TKR or THA list in recent years, you have probably encountered a robotic system — or you will. Mako, ROSA, and similar platforms are now present in many UK units, and the debate around them tends to generate more heat than light. The claims from industry are optimistic; the evidence is more nuanced.
This pillar cuts through that. It covers what robotic and navigation systems actually do, what the published evidence on outcomes shows, and what the harder questions are — about training, patient selection, and whether the technology is improving surgical results or redistributing the complexity of the decision. The surgical training debate belongs here too: does operating with robotic assistance build technical skill or erode it?
For trainees
How to engage meaningfully with robotic systems during training — what to log, what to reflect on, and how to think critically about a technology you will be expected to use but may not have been formally taught.
For consultants
Adoption decisions, patient selection, the evidence base for specific systems, and what it means to supervise trainees on robotic lists. Also: what to make of the ongoing outcome data as it matures.
Published in this pillar
More coming in this pillar. Planned posts cover the evidence on robotic TKR in depth, the navigation vs robotics distinction, and the surgical training debate — are we producing better or worse surgeons in the age of assisted surgery? Register for free to be notified when they publish.