Knee surgery in Aberdeen

Our Consultant Orthopeadic Surgeons have a special interest in lower limb joint replacement and reconstruction, with knee replacements and any soft tissue surgery of the knee – including ligament reconstructions and arthroscopy – available at the hospital.

Patients who visit us at Albyn present with a host of knee-related symptoms, including pain, discomfort and reduced function. Usually the patient has tried taking painkillers painkillers, modifying their activity, reducing weight, physiotherapy, and using walking aids as prescribed by their medical practitioner.  If a patient can no longer deal with their problem, or their restrictions on day to day life are significantly affected, it may necessary to have surgery. 

Younger patients will visit us too. Their issue might be related to a work or sporting injury that is causing chronic pain and restricting their day-to-day activities.

Standard and robotic knee surgery is offered at Albyn Hospital. 

Many knee surgeries are now performed with the assistance of robotic equipment says our Orthopeadic Consultant who fits robotic knees regularly here at Albyn Hospital.

Robotic arm surgery is transforming the way knee surgery is done. The benefits for the patient of joint replacement using the robotic arm (over conventional joint replacement) include:

• Reduced length of stay
• Less pain
• Improved early functional outcome. 

A CT scan is carried out before a robotic-assisted knee replacement – and the scan that is performed pre-operatively will be sent to the company which provides the robot. The robot itself is called the Stryker Mako robot. During the procedure, trackers are placed on the patient. This allows the robotic arm to know exactly where the patient’s bony landmarks are, which allows for more accurate positioning of the components – to within a millimetre of the desired position.

In Jan 2024, Albyn Hospital completed its 1000^th surgery using the robotic arm – and there have been many more life-changing surgeries since.

Mako trained Orthopaedic Consultants at Albyn Hospital include Mr Robert Duthie, Mr Martin Mitchell, Mr Steven Hamilton, Mr Scott Barker, Mr Christopher Munro, Mr Iain Stevenson, Mr David Neilly and Mr Gareth Medlock. 

The Conformis iTotal knee replacement is another option, which involves getting the exact position and size right before surgery. Our surgeon will then implant the knee at the time of the operation.

In fact, most total knee replacements performed here in the UK are non-robotic (a safe and well-established technique) and only around 10% of patients opt for the newer robot assisted techniques. 

The cost of the robotic assisted knee and the custom fit knee are roughly equivalent, at being 15% more than a standard total knee replacement. At Albyn Hospital, two Orthopaedic Consultants carry out Conformis Custom-fit total knee replacements as well as carrying out traditional total knee replacements, too, which is often a better option for some patients. These Consultants are Mr David Boddie and Mr James Bidwell 

Customised knee replacements, however, are designed to improve patient outcomes and satisfaction. They also offer improved longevity of the implant.

If you and your consultant decide that a customised knee replacement is the right option for you, this is what happens:

• You will be booked in for a CT scan of your knee
• Images will be transferred to Conformis – the manufacturer, in the USA.
• Your surgeon will then order your implants directly with Conformis
• From this point, the process takes around six weeks and you can then be booked in for surgery.

During the surgery, special 3D printed instruments made from your CT scan will be used to make accurate cuts on your bones. This will ensure that your customised implant fits perfectly. Following surgery, you will undertake physiotherapy to strengthen the muscles in your leg and make sure the best result possible is achieved.

Patients can be treated with injection therapies – including PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections – as out-patients.

There is also the option of hyaluronic acid injections, and unloader osteoarthritis braces, along with physiotherapy and rehabilitation.

Our Consultants say they ‘are not all about surgery’ and if there is a less invasive option, it will always be explored first.

You will see a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at your initial consultation. During this appointment, your consultant will ask about your overall health and medical background. They'll discuss any existing medical conditions and inquire about the symptoms you're currently experiencing.

To accurately evaluate your symptoms and diagnose your condition, your consultant will conduct a physical examination of your knee. They may also require you have a Xray of your knee – this is done at Albyn Hospital. Only in a rare case, would an MRI scan be required. So, in the vast majority of cases, a simple x-ray will confirm the diagnosis. 

The consultant will then provide further information about treatment options that is best suited to your requirements. 

Depending on what time of the day a knee surgery operation is performed at Albyn, patients can be up and about and begin walking quite quickly after surgery. In years gone by, the standard was for patients to stay in bed for two days, and only after that would they get up. However, today the surgeon and anaesthetist do lots of things slightly differently in the operation to try and improve the pain relief afterwards, to allow patients to get up quicker.

Patients tend to feel better once they are up and can get going. This also reduces the risk of the operation, to minimise the development of a blood clot in the leg. So, getting up and going is essential, as soon as possible, as long as they are comfortable to do that.

Patients are on average in hospital for about two or three days