This one's an instance of sheer brilliance, and it has happened right here in Mumbai. A Mumbai surgeon, practicing at Breach Candy Hospital has managed to pull off an unimaginable feat. Together with orthopedic implant company, Smith & Nephew, Arun Mullaji performed knee replacement surgery on 75-year old, Prabhadevi resident Gulab Singvi using an iPod Touch. Not only was the surgery a success, the patient could walk on the same day, post the surgery. A specialist in computer-aided knee replacement surgery, Arun Mullaji's surgery on Singvi is the first commercial non-experimental orthopedic (knee replacement) surgery in Asia to have been done using an iPod Touch. The surgery was performed using the DASH technology formulated by Smith & Nephew. The DASH system gets the iPod Touch to connect wirelessly, using Wi-Fi connection to an infrared beam emiting camera. The iPod Touch has tiny instruments attached to itself, which the surgeon can position, according to data fed on the iPod Touch. This data enables the surgeon to cut the bone with precision, and place a new joint. The exact alignments and the position of the operated portion can be viewed clearly on the iPod Touch's screen.
The technology is a preferred mode because it is known to add precision to the surgery, which is key. Also, the implants done by this method are known to last longer and have better functionalities. Additionally, the surgeries done by the DASH technology are known to be more quicker, and affordable, along with it being easy for the surgeon-in charge to operate. It also accounts for being minimally non-invasive. All instructions required for the surgeon to smoothly function are fed on the iPod.
Merit has been seen in this new DASH technology, and very soon as many as 5 Indian hospitals will be equipped with the DASH technology.