Aaron Schwartz, age 42, was severely injured when a heavy wall of steel fell on him at work.
Suffering six broken vertebrae and leg fractures in two places, Mr. Schwartz was brought to the underground hybrid operating room in Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem’s Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower. “In the hybrid room are two robots,” explains Prof. Meir Liebergall, head of Hadassah’s Orthopedic Department. “The more innovative of the two is the Zeego. It allows three-dimensional imagining while a surgeon is operating—which is unusual during surgery. This lets the surgeon know exactly where each organ is, and he no longer has to rely on CT scans before surgery and X-rays after the surgery.” The Zeego robot was controlled by Dr. Amal Khouri, head of Hadassah’s Orthopedic Hospitalization Center, while Senior Surgeon Dr. Josh Schroeder controlled the Israeli Robot named Renaissance, developed by Mazor Robotics. Renaissance enabled Dr. Schroeder to place the screws into the patient’s spine with maximum precision.
“The two robots communicated with each other during the surgery,” relates Prof. Liebergall, “when 11 orthopedic screws were inserted with exactitude, preventing much suffering to the patient.”
Mr. Schwartz relates: “I work in a large factory outside of Jerusalem and have to build large metal surfaces. Before I could begin, a wall of steel fell on me, pinning me to the ground. The pain was unbelievable and I couldn’t move. I saw death in front of me. I understand that I’ll be able to walk once the leg improves. I am so grateful. My son will have a Dad. What amazing technology at Hadassah and what a caring staff that checks on me all the time. I don’t take it for granted.”
Read more in the Jerusalem Post.
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