Mark Robert, a 53-year-old British national, found relief from his excruciating knee pain after undergoing a total knee replacement surgery with specially designed customised implants manufactured to match his anatomy.
American Hospital Dubai conducted a 3D technology-powered total knee joint replacement surgery using customised implant procedure, the latest medical treatment available for patients requiring knee joint replacement surgery.
The hospital strengthens its leadership as a centre of medical excellence by performing complicated and advanced techniques surgeries in Dubai, ensuring people can receive high standard of treatment and healthcare without leaving the country.
The healing journey
Robert is a long-time resident of Dubai who has lived a very active, outdoor lifestyle including sports. However, due to his long history of osteoarthritis and an injury in the right knee, he suffered from acute knee pain, leading to a loss in the range of movements. He could walk only short distances and needed a lot of pain medication to deal with his pain.
He visited Dr Catalin Stefan Dragulescu, Orthopaedic Surgeon at American Hospital Dubai, who diagnosed his condition after an X-ray and found that he required a total knee replacement surgery. The doctor also explained to him the new customised knee joint implant procedure in the hospital that is more effective in treating patients helping them return to regular activities more quickly.
There are two ways to do total knee replacement surgery. "The common one is to replace damaged surfaces in the knee using off-the-shelf implants,” says Dr Dragulescu. “The latest treatment technique is customised implants for the knee, which is available at our hospital, where exclusive tailor-made implants are designed especially for the patient to match his knee's anatomy."
A lot of complicated data engineering is needed to manufacture the customised knee implant, which requires effective collaboration between the engineering team and surgeon.
Hence, the preparation time for the surgery is usually longer, requiring six to seven weeks from the day the patient agrees to the custom knee implant surgery and the completion of the 3D CT scan, he adds.
"Since everything is planned earlier, the duration of the operation is shortened. Therefore, the patient has potentially lesser chances of getting any infection because surgery is completed faster and less bleeding and trauma may occur during the actual operation," he says.
"The patient can recover and mobilise himself much earlier than conventional surgery. He will be able to get back to his normal activity and full functionality, living a pain-free life again at a much quicker rate.”
Robert spent five days in the hospital after surgery. He had started physiotherapy and walking in the afternoon of the day of the surgery. "He is still on physiotherapy, which is also an essential part of this treatment,” says Dr Dragulescu. “Usually, patients need 10-12 sessions post-surgery."
Joint replacement surgeries
The demand for joint replacement surgeries, especially for hip and knee replacements, is increasing, and these surgeries are commonly performed globally. These are effective surgeries that help patients eliminate joint pain and improve their quality of life.
American Hospital Dubai is the only hospital in the UAE that performs customised hip implants surgery. The hospital recently completed its first total knee replacement procedure, healing people's joints and helping them lead a high-quality, active and pain-free life.
For more information, visit Ahdubai.com
