Revolutionary knee surgery gives Jasna a new lease of life
An energetic woman from Glasgow has gained a new lease of life, thanks to a revolutionary knee replacement technique – and a helping hand from her husband!
Jasna Bicanic, 68, from Bearsden, and her husband Nenad, researched a variety of knee replacement techniques, including computer navigated guided surgery, after tennis injuries and arthritis caused the cartilage in both knees to wear away - forcing her to consider total knee replacement surgery (TKR) on both joints.
Jasna said: “After repeated scans confirmed that my knees had badly deteriorated, I was told I needed both knees replacing and naturally I wanted to make sure I received the best treatment possible.
“We were aware of advances in computer navigated surgery and a system called Orthopilot - but I wanted to learn more before committing to anything.”
So Jasna and Nenad set about researching the revolutionary technique.
Thanks to a mutual interest in computer applications in biomedical engineering, Nenad met the pioneer of Orthopilot, Mr Frederic Picard, who is consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Glasgow’s Golden Jubilee National Hospital, and even observed a live, computer-navigated knee replacement operation.
The technique, like Sat-Navs, uses state-of-the-art computer technology to guide surgeons, ensuring replacement knee joints are aligned precisely.
With traditional techniques, only 70-80 per cent of knee replacements are aligned correctly, leading to instability and loosening of the joint - and eventually resulting in the patient needing a revised replacement.
“Nenad met Mr Picard at the hospital to discuss the procedure and he was even allowed to observe a live knee replacement operation using Orthopilot. He was very enthusiastic about it and very supportive,” said Jasna.
“The computer-navigated knee replacement surgery sounded like a high precision technique which would reduce the risk of complications and me needing another operation in the future.
In Scotland alone, more than 5,500 people a year need TKR surgery – and that figure is rising.
Mr Picard said, “Thanks to an ageing population, an increase in sporting injuries and obesity, the amount of people requiring TKR’s is rising. Computer-navigated surgery, combined with good pre and post operative care can change these patients’ lives.”
Jasna eventually opted to have both knees replaced in a single operation (bi-lateral TKR) at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, insisting the procedure was carried out using computer-navigated technology.
“Mr Picard carried out the procedure and when I woke up, I had the most wonderful feeling of relief – it was all over. There was a great prospect that I would no longer have to suffer with my knees,” said Jasna, who is originally from Croatia.
“Before the operation, when my knees deteriorated quite badly, I had to stop doing all the things I love such as skiing, tennis and swimming. I was such an active person, but my knees forced me to stop.
“But since the surgery, my life has got back on track. I can walk, go up and down stairs and even cycle without pain, it’s great. We even bought an exercise bike for Christmas which I use regularly. It’s fantastic to be active again.
“It was a complete success, my life is already back to normal and I can enjoy doing the things I love once again, it’s fantastic.”
