Volume 19 Number 3 (September - December 2012) - Mahidol ...

Mahidol
University’s
Faculty of
Medicine Siriraj
Hospital has
become the first
medical facility in
Southeast Asia
to perform robotic surgery on patients
with partial knee-joint problems.
Talking to Spectrum, Assoc. Prof. Keerati
Charoencholvanich M.D, Orthopaedic
Surgeon, Adult Reconstrutive Surgery
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery,
explained the main advantages of this
procedure, describing how the surgery
is more accurate, convenient and quicker
than traditional forms of surgery.
The robotic equipment has three
main components – a camera, to view
the surgery in real-time; a computer, to
calculate how and where to make cuts;
and a robotic arm under the control of
the surgeons. The procedure is referred
to as a “semi-active”, as even though robotic
The controversial practice of
removing the eyestalk of female
black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) in
the aquaculture industry (eyestalk ablation)
could soon be over if a new technique
to stimulate ovarian maturation and
spawning developed by a molecular
biologist at Mahidol University proves to
be a viable alternative.
Traditionally, female shrimp have had
their eyestalks removed to dispose of
a gland that produces gonad-inhibiting
hormone (GIH) which controls ovarian
maturation. Unfortunately, this procedure
quickly exhausts the female broodstock,
increases production costs, and attracts
accusations of cruelty. Due to the
lack of alternatives, the practice has
continued. However, this situation may
change thanks to researchers at the
Institute of Molecular Biosciences-
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Apinunt Udomkit, and
2 • September - December 2012, Vol. 19, No. 3
Siriraj Hospital - A Pioneer In
Robotic Knee Surgery
equipment is used, it is monitored
and controlled by experienced
orthopaedic surgeons. Crucially,
robotic surgery reduces the chance
of errors being made and leads to
more precise incisions and cuts to the
bone and reduced damage to surrounding
tissues. Furthermore, as robotic surgery
tends to leave behind a much smaller
wound, patients also recuperate more
quickly and are able to perform routine
activities shortly after their procedure. In
fact, they typically maintain a wide-range
of motion that is remarkably similar to
healthy people.
The use of this technology will
undoubtedly bring enormous benefits to
people suffering from problems with their
knee-joints; it also reinforces the Department’s,
the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital’s
reputation as a premier centre of
Humane Technique for use in
Shrimp Farming
Dr. Supattra Treerattrakool, who have
developed a strategy to induce
reproductive maturation in adult female
P. monodon by working at the molecular
level to block the activity of the GIH. Assoc.
Prof. Udomkit and Dr.Treerattrakool
hope this technique will make the removal
of eyestalks redundant.
This innovation could provide
significant benefits for shrimp farmers
as it would automatically reduce the use
of both wild caught and domesticated
female broodstock and therefore cut
the production costs involved in breeding
shrimp. Another potential benefit is that
female broodstock could be kept in
captivity for longer periods. This would
allow for the identification of good
breeders which could be selectively
bred to supply high-quality seed for the
aquaculture industry. Both aspects could
have huge commercial benefits for the
Thai and global aquaculture industry.
orthopaedic surgery within the region.
In order to help promote the use of
this technology and to mark the 48 th
anniversary of Department of Orthopaedic
Surgery, the hospital is offering special
discounts of up to 50% for 48 patients
who opt for this pioneering form of
surgery.
For more information about The Faculty
of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, including
more news plus contact details, please
visit http://www.si.mahidol.ac.th/eng/
Shrimp have become one of the Thailand’s
top ten export products, worth an
estimated 50 billion Thai Baht (almost
US$ 1.6 billion) annually.
Dr. Treerattrakool adds that “The strategy
would benefit the long-term sustainability
of the country’s black tiger shrimp industry
and increase its competitiveness in the
global market.”