Manual Technique:
- Experience-Dependent: Highly reliant on the surgeon's skills and experience.
- Tactile Feedback: Surgeons directly feel tissues, allowing for immediate adjustments based on feedback.
- Flexibility: Surgeons can adapt to unexpected situations during surgery.
- Cost: Generally, the cost of manual surgery tends to be lower due to less specialized equipment.
Knee Surgery Robot:
- Precision: Robots can enhance precision, potentially leading to better alignment and reduced error.
- Pre-operative Planning: Offers detailed pre-operative planning, allowing surgeons to simulate procedures.
- Less Invasive: Can enable minimally invasive techniques, potentially reducing recovery time.
- Learning Curve: Requires training for surgeons to operate the robot effectively.
- Cost: Often involves higher initial costs due to the equipment and maintenance.
The choice between these methods often depends on various factors, including the surgeon's experience, the complexity of the surgery, patient-specific needs, and the available technology in a healthcare facility. In some cases, a combination of both manual and robotic techniques might be used, leveraging the strengths of each method. In fact, the Robot is only a tool, proper handling is needed to see all the advantages of this technique.
Overall, the decision between a knee surgery robot and manual techniques is usually made by considering the balance between precision, cost, surgeon expertise, and patient outcomes.