The Acceptance of Robots in the Orthopaedic Joint Replacement Operating Room
Abstract
Robotic-assisted surgery has seen substantial growth over the years and continues to show promise. It has recently been implemented into orthopaedic surgery, however, prior to introduction in the operating room it is crucial to understand patient attitudes and comfort level with robot versus surgeon autonomy. An understanding of patient views will lead to the development of informative patient education materials to help facilitate successful implementation. The objective for this study was to develop an understanding of perspectives on the use of robots during knee replacement surgery. This study employs a qualitative descriptive methodology. Included participants were those who have undergone total knee replacement in the last five years at University Hospital. Participants partook in an online semi-structured interview with questions assessing their past experiences, fears and assumptions on robot assisted surgery. An inductive thematic analysis was completed to organize and present this information into themes. Major themes were the proven reliability of robots, safety and efficacy, and cleanliness. Some participants fear centered around complete autonomy of the robot, though, some participants expressed greater comfort if given information about the role of the robot prior to surgery. Patient education materials can be implemented into practice in hospitals to alleviate fears and prevent misperceptions about robot-assisted knee replacement.