Robotic Knee Replacement Surgery in Kharghar

Robotic-assisted knee replacement uses detailed imaging and a robotic guidance system to help the surgeon plan and position the implant with tighter precision than manual instruments alone. It is performed by Dr. Juilee Mhatre Nair at NAIR Spine & Knee Clinic for suitable candidates undergoing total or partial knee replacement.

What robotic knee replacement is

Robotic-assisted knee replacement is not a separate type of surgery — it is a technology-assisted way of performing the same total or partial knee replacement procedure. A CT scan or 3D imaging of your knee is taken beforehand and used to build a personalised surgical plan mapping your bone anatomy and alignment. In the operating theatre, a robotic arm system helps guide bone preparation and implant positioning according to that plan, while the surgeon remains in direct control throughout.

Who this suits

Robotic assistance is generally considered for patients who are already candidates for /total-knee-replacement/ or /partial-knee-replacement/ — typically those with advanced /osteoarthritis/ or joint damage that has not responded to conservative treatment. Whether robotic assistance is used in your case depends on your specific anatomy, the pattern of joint wear, and what equipment is available at the treating hospital. Dr. Juilee Mhatre Nair will discuss whether it is appropriate after reviewing your imaging.

Symptoms and indications for knee replacement

• Persistent knee pain that limits walking, stairs, or daily activities despite treatment.
• Stiffness and reduced range of motion that interferes with normal function.
• Visible deformity or malalignment of the knee, such as a bowed or knock-kneed appearance.
• Imaging showing significant cartilage loss or bone-on-bone contact.

Non-surgical management is considered first

Before any joint replacement — robotic-assisted or conventional — is recommended, non-surgical options are usually tried: weight management, activity modification, supportive physiotherapy, anti-inflammatory medication, and sometimes joint injections. Robotic knee replacement is a surgical option for patients whose symptoms and joint damage have progressed beyond what these measures can manage, not a first-line treatment.

What the surgery involves

On the day of surgery, the robotic system uses the pre-operative plan and real-time data collected during the procedure to guide the surgeon in preparing the bone surfaces and positioning the implant components. The surgeon still makes every cutting and placement decision — the robotic arm provides a mechanical check against the plan, helping to keep alignment and ligament balance within the planned targets. The rest of the procedure — anaesthesia, incision, implant fixation, and closure — follows the same principles as conventional total or partial knee replacement.

What robotic assistance actually changes

The core change robotic assistance brings is in planning and alignment precision — not a different implant, and not a guaranteed outcome. It allows the surgical team to visualise the knee's ligament balance and bone alignment in more detail before the first cut is made, and to check implant positioning against that plan during surgery. This is designed to reduce variability in alignment compared with manual jigs and freehand cutting guides. It does not change the fundamental biology of healing, nor does it eliminate the normal risks of joint replacement surgery.

Traditional versus robotic-assisted knee surgery

In a conventional knee replacement, the surgeon uses mechanical jigs and manual instruments, guided by their training and intra-operative judgement, to prepare the bone and position the implant. In a robotic-assisted case, the same surgeon performs the same fundamental steps, but with a pre-built 3D plan and real-time feedback from the robotic system checking alignment against that plan as the procedure progresses. Both approaches are established ways of performing knee replacement — robotic assistance is best understood as an additional layer of planning and verification rather than a wholly different operation.

Recovery phases

Recovery follows the same broad phases as conventional knee replacement: an early hospital-based phase focused on pain control and getting the knee moving, a home-based phase of progressive physiotherapy to rebuild strength and range of motion, and a longer-term phase of activity-specific rehabilitation. The pace of recovery depends on your pre-surgery fitness, the extent of joint damage corrected, and how consistently you engage with physiotherapy — your surgeon and physiotherapy team will guide the specific timeline for you rather than a generic schedule.

Risks, discussed honestly

Robotic-assisted knee replacement carries the same general risks as conventional knee replacement, including infection, blood clots, stiffness, and the possibility that the implant may eventually need revision. Additional considerations specific to the robotic-assisted approach, such as any equipment-related factors, will be discussed with you individually. No surgeon can promise a specific outcome, and Dr. Juilee Mhatre Nair will talk through what is realistic for your particular joint and health profile.

What influences the cost

Robotic-assisted joint surgery cost depends on the implant type chosen, the hospital or surgical facility, length of hospital stay, the rehabilitation plan that follows, and your insurance or cashless coverage. Because robotic-assisted planning can add to the technology cost compared with conventional instrumentation, costs vary from case to case. We do not publish a figure on this page — call or WhatsApp NAIR Spine & Knee Clinic for a personalised estimate once your case has been assessed.

Who tends to benefit most from the robotic-assisted approach

Robotic-assisted planning tends to be discussed most often for patients with more complex alignment issues — for example, significant bowing of the leg, prior fractures near the knee, or unusual anatomy that can make manual alignment more challenging. That said, it can be offered for straightforward cases too. Whether it is used for your surgery depends on your anatomy, your surgeon's assessment, and the equipment available at the treating hospital, and Dr. Juilee Mhatre Nair will discuss whether it is appropriate for your specific case during your consultation.

What a consultation involves

A consultation with Dr. Juilee Mhatre Nair includes a clinical examination, a review of your X-rays or MRI, and a discussion of whether robotic-assisted or conventional knee replacement is the more suitable option for your joint. She consults at /spine-and-knee-clinic-kharghar/ and at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital via /spine-and-knee-specialist-kopar-khairane/. You can read more about her focus areas on the /dr-juilee-mhatre-nair/ page.