The first robot assisted shoulder replacement surgeries in an Australian public health service have taken place at Bayside Health’s Frankston Public Surgical Centre.
“It’s a new technology that enables us to accurately plan and subsequently execute that surgical plan to within a millimetre and a degree – which was previously impossible to achieve,” said Dr Simon Lau, who performed the surgeries.
“It will lead to excellent surgical outcomes for patients in the long term.”
Dr Lau explained that robot assisted technology has been used for total hip and knee replacements at Bayside Health Peninsula for approximately four years, with the latest advancement harnessing the same technology for shoulder replacements – which make up 10-15% of all joint replacements done around Australia.
Worldwide, the first robotic shoulder replacement took place in the United States in the second half of 2025. Dr Lau said that a small number of private hospitals in Victoria have the capacity to perform robotic shoulder replacements, but, until now, no public hospital Australia wide.
“Patients who have been offered the procedure are very enthusiastic to access the newest technology,” said Dr Lau.
“But it is important to remember that the robot doesn’t actually perform the operation – instead, the surgeon utilises the precision and accuracy of the robot and it’s sensor arrays to both template, plan and execute the operation.”