For many active adults, knee pain doesn’t just interfere with movement; it interrupts life. Enjoying a quiet morning in the garden, walking your favourite coastal track, or returning to the golf course can become increasingly difficult when stiffness, swelling, or joint instability start to affect your daily routine.
Robotic knee surgery, performed by experienced knee surgeons, is a modern surgical option that may support a more personalised and precise approach to knee replacement. For adults who remain active in retirement or later life, this technology can play a role in helping you return safely to the hobbies that keep you moving, connected, and well.
In this article, we’ll look at how robotic-assisted surgery may support your ability to resume specific lifestyle activities, with a focus on gardening, walking, and golf.
Gardening After Robotic Knee Surgery: Getting Back Into the Garden Bed
Gardening after robotic knee surgery is a common and deeply rewarding hobby for many older Australians. But it also involves complex, joint-intensive movements: crouching, kneeling, squatting, twisting, and standing for long periods on uneven surfaces.
For those recovering from knee replacement, robotic-assisted surgery may support more accurate implant positioning and joint alignment. This can be particularly relevant in gardening, where the knee is repeatedly transitioning between flexion and extension under load.
Post-surgery, patients typically start with light activities like pruning or watering after 6–8 weeks, with more demanding movements such as digging or kneeling introduced gradually under physiotherapy supervision. Raised garden beds, long-handled tools, and cushioned kneelers can help protect the joint during this transition.
While each person’s recovery timeline after surgery can vary, robotic technology like Mako SmartRobotics™ or the VELYS™ Robotic-Assisted Solution aims to preserve natural joint motion, an important consideration when reintroducing dynamic, low-to-ground activities like gardening.
Walking After Robotic Knee Surgery: From Slow Steps to Long Strolls
Walking after robotic knee surgery is not only one of the first functional goals after knee surgery, but it’s often the most essential. Whether you’re walking to the shops, heading to your favourite café, or joining a walking group, regaining a comfortable walking pattern can have a significant impact on your lifestyle.
Robotic knee surgery may assist in supporting smoother gait mechanics by helping ensure that the knee implant is properly aligned and well-balanced during surgery. This can be particularly helpful when returning to outdoor walking, where surfaces may be uneven or varied.
Recovery milestones vary, but most patients begin walking with aids in the first week, followed by indoor unaided walking by 2–3 weeks, and progressing to longer outdoor walks within 6–12 weeks. Supportive footwear, walking poles, and a structured walking plan created with your physiotherapist can improve safety and pacing.
Whether your goal is walking through your local park or resuming light bushwalking, robotic-assisted surgery may contribute to improved joint confidence and stability with every step.
Golf After Robotic Knee Surgery: Getting Back on the Green
Golf after robotic knee surgery involves more than just walking; it requires controlled rotation, balance, weight transfer, and stance stability, particularly during a swing. For active adults returning to the course after a knee replacement, these are all important factors to consider.
Robotic knee surgery may assist in achieving precise joint alignment and soft tissue balance, which could support improved rotational control and lower limb symmetry. This may help with stability during swings and reduce joint strain during long rounds.
Most patients begin chipping and putting within 8–10 weeks after surgery, progress to the driving range by 3 months, and return to full 9 or 18-hole rounds with appropriate pacing and rest. Using a cart initially is often advised.
Working with a physiotherapist or golf professional familiar with post-surgical recovery can help you build a safe, gradual return-to-play plan tailored to your swing mechanics and fitness level.
Robotic Surgery and Its Role in Supporting Hobby-Based Recovery
While traditional knee replacement has helped many people regain mobility, robotic-assisted techniques provide an additional layer of precision. By creating a personalised surgical plan, using CT imaging (Mako) or real-time mapping (VELYS), robotic systems may help the surgeon align the implant more accurately to your anatomy.
For active adults with specific lifestyle goals, this may result in:
- Smoother joint motion for repetitive movement (e.g. walking long distances)
- More stable crouching or kneeling postures for tasks like gardening
- Better symmetry and confidence during dynamic actions, such as swinging a golf club
It’s important to note that robotic assistance is not a shortcut or guaranteed solution. Outcomes are influenced by overall health, rehabilitation, and adherence to recovery plans. However, when paired with appropriate post-operative care, robotic technology may help support a more confident return to movement-based hobbies.
Key Considerations Before Returning to Hobbies
Returning to a fulfilling lifestyle after surgery takes time and patience. Here are a few principles to guide your recovery:
- Prioritise safety: Even if you feel ready, consult your knee orthopaedic surgeon or physiotherapist before resuming any strenuous activities.
- Respect discomfort: Pain or joint swelling are signals to slow down and reassess.
- Build strength and flexibility: Rehab exercises targeting stability, balance, and range of motion are essential, particularly when returning to movement-heavy hobbies.
- Set realistic goals: Think in terms of “30 minutes of gardening” or “walking 2 km without pain,” and work towards those milestones gradually.
Recovery should be structured around your lifestyle goals, not just clinical checklists. Building confidence in your mobility is often a gradual process, and learning more about walking after knee surgery can offer practical strategies to support a safe return to everyday movement as you work towards your hobby goals.
Reclaiming Movement, One Hobby at a Time
Whether you find joy in your backyard, the fairway, or a winding footpath, movement is often more than just physical; it’s personal.
Robotic knee surgery may support a more accurate and stable joint reconstruction, which could help you return to gardening, walking, or golfing with greater confidence. Combined with thoughtful rehabilitation and clear expectations, it offers a modern approach to supporting active adults who want to keep doing what they love.
If you’re considering knee replacement and would like guidance on returning to the hobbies that matter most to you, book a consultation with Dr Jonathan Negus. He offers both Mako SmartRobotics™ and VELYS™ Robotic-Assisted Surgery with no additional cost in his practice or at the hospitals where he operates. From mid-August 2025, Norwest Private Hospital will begin offering Mako robotic total knee replacement to most eligible private health patients.
A personalised consultation can help you understand your options and whether robotic-assisted knee surgery may be a suitable step toward restoring your mobility and lifestyle.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is robotic knee surgery only for younger or very active patients?
Not at all. Robotic-assisted knee replacement can be considered for a wide range of patients, including older adults, provided they meet surgical and medical criteria. The technology is often used to support more precise implant positioning, which may benefit both moderately and highly active individuals aiming to regain lifestyle function.
2. Can I kneel on the knee after robotic replacement surgery?
Kneeling is possible for some patients after knee replacement, but comfort levels vary. It may take several months before attempting kneeling on firm surfaces, and many people use cushions or supports when doing so. Discuss this with your physiotherapist or surgeon before reintroducing kneeling activities, especially for hobbies like gardening.
3. How long does the robotic-assisted surgery take compared to traditional methods?
Robotic-assisted knee replacement typically takes a similar amount of time in the theatre as conventional surgery. The additional steps (such as pre-op CT scanning in Mako procedures or intra-operative mapping in VELYS procedures) are built into the surgical workflow and don’t significantly lengthen your hospital stay.
4. Are both Mako and VELYS systems available in Sydney?
Yes. Both Mako SmartRobotics™ and VELYS™ Robotic-Assisted Solution are used in Sydney for total and partial knee replacement. Dr Jonathan Negus offers both systems, depending on patient needs and hospital location, with no additional charge for robotic-assisted surgery in his practice.
5. Will I need a referral to see a knee surgeon about robotic surgery?
Yes. In Australia, you’ll need a referral from your GP to see an orthopaedic knee surgeon. This ensures your condition is properly assessed and that you can discuss all treatment options, including whether robotic-assisted surgery is suitable for your goals and activity level.
