The world's first dual robotic surgery was performed recently at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in Jerusalem, Israel. The 42-year-old patient who underwent the procedure will be able to walk again after a heavy steel frame had fallen on him.
The revolutionary dual robotic surgery, performed on April 23, repaired of a severe spinal fracture suffered by Aharon Schwartz, a factory worker who was injured when a steel object pinned him to the ground, fracturing his leg in two places and breaking six of his spinal vertebrae.
The pioneering, three-hour surgery took place in a state-of-the-art, $30 million operating room, according to Dr. Meir Liebergall, chairman of the Hadassah Medical Organization's orthopedic department. Two robots, Siemens' Artis Zeego and the Renaissance Guidance System, were involved in the surgery. Renaissance is a screw placement system which allows spinal implant placement with safety and accuracy, and was developed by Israeli company Mazor Robotics.
According to Hadassah's president Ellen Hershkin, "the world's first dual robot-assisted spinal surgery solidifies Hadassah's reputation for world-class medical innovation and treatment."