For the past three years, knee prosthetics surgery has been offered as an ambulatory surgery in Luxembourg.

Orthopaedic surgeons Dr Pit Putzeys and Dr Philippe Wilmes launched the project to offer knee prosthetics surgery on an ambulatory basis in 2016, meaning that patients would not have to stay overnight.

The project, launched at the Robert Schumann hospital, is possible due to the incredible medical progress which has occurred over the past ten years. As an example, Robots assist the surgeon and anaesthesia methods have been perfected, alongside an emphasis on supporting the patient through the surgery. For instance, patients are offered hypnotherapy prior to the surgery as a means to relax.

The evolution of these techniques has allowed surgeons to make more complex surgeries, such as knee amputations and fitting prosthetics, ambulatory surgeries. The benefits are twofold: the innovative techniques are reassuring to the comfort of patients, and the National Health Fund likely benefits from cutting down on overnight stays.

Whether performing traditional orthopaedic surgery or performing surgery with the help of Da Vinci Mako robots, Luxembourg has emerged as a pioneer in the medical landscape, no longer considered as being less capable. As Dr Wilmes explained, Luxembourg is no longer 'just' a financial hotspot, but also a key area for medical innovation alongside first class medical care.

For more detail on the ambulatory knee surgery, the below Luxembourgish video takes you through one patient's experience, where she came into the hospital in the morning and left that same day.