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You may think only an athlete knows the value of a lost game due to an avoidable or treatable injury. Fakeeh University Hospital knows it too. So to ensure proper and timely care for sports injuries and provide overall fitness maintenance, Fakeeh University Hospital has developed its Sports Medicine Clinic. In a matter of a few months, the hospital has become one of the most trusted sports medicine centre in the region. It is where the sports champions prefer to recover and recuperate from the daily wear and tear of their sport. The clinic also provides advanced care and surgical solutions for the players’ bones, muscles and joints.

Fakeeh University Hospital is uniquely positioned to offer high-end medical services, clinical support, world-class sports medical diagnosis and treatment.

The programme pillars

The Sports Medicine Clinic has globally renowned experts and the best of technology to cater to every medical need of sports enthusiasts. Following are the pillars that make the clinic a strong service provider in the region:

• Movement continuity for athletes with a multidisciplinary approach to athlete management, including comprehensive assessment, treatment and complete rehabilitation. The clinic assists sportspersons to get back on their feet and perform at their highest potential

• Expert care with a carefully selected panel of medical experts with in-depth knowledge, catering to sporting categories including champions, aspiring athletes and enthusiasts

• Faster recovery with advanced technologies combined with highly customised care plans

• Enabling strength gain and function by use of global standards in sports medicine delivery

• Helping to regain mobility with joint saving solutions of the foot, ankle, knee, elbow, shoulder, wrist, hand, forearm and more.

• Assisting sportspersons to get back to active sports with repair strategies, including those of ligaments, soft tissue, nerves, tendons and more.

Accurate diagnosis using latest high-end technology and equipment

A treatment is successful when the diagnosis is accurate. To ensure this, Fakeeh University Hospital has installed advanced AI-enabled equipment that helps the sports medicine clinical team. Patients’ treatment is planned through the use of the latest MRI, CT and Dexa scan facilities that aid faster and accurate diagnosis. A notable technology is the 3T Magnetom Vida MRI by Siemens. The machine overcomes patient variability and as a result the outcomes include fewer rescans, predictable scheduling and consistent, high-quality personalised exams for high-end clinical routine as well as clinical research. This has in true terms ushered a paradigm shift in MRI scans.

Minimal invasion and faster recovery

The Sports Medicine Clinic has a strong belief in adopting the most innovative and minimally invasive approach whenever possible.

Minimally invasive techniques for sports-related injuries offer a quick recovery time with minimal scar.

- Dr Elie Romanos, Specialist Orthopaedic Surgeon, Fakeeh University Hospital

“This approach helps the sports players maintain healthy and active lifestyles, while reserving surgeries as a last resort,” says Dr Elie Romanos, Specialist Orthopaedic Surgeon, Fakeeh University Hospital. “Minimally invasive techniques for sports-related injuries offer a quick recovery time with minimal scar. This helps in faster recovery and aids in getting back to the sport earlier.”

The clinic is also adept in handling severe cases. For instance, revision surgeries of failed existing replacements to complex and vulnerable spinal surgeries and procedures, all are handled with swift action and positive outcomes.

Choice of champions

Fakeeh University Hospital is only a year old, but its medical services have gained the trust of many in the region. Numerous sports enthusiasts, associations and clubs have put their faith in Fakeeh University Hospital’s Sports Medicine Clinic.

It has become the choice of champions, as is demonstrated through its tie-up with UAE Rugby and Tigers of Ittihad Saudi Club. In fact, the clinic is also actively saving the careers of many young sports professionals. In a recent case, a 20-year-old footballer’s career got another lease of life when he was treated rightly for his stress fracture of the 5th metatarsa, at Fakeeh University Hospital (after few unsuccessful treatments at other medical facilities).

The Sports Medicine Clinic’s function also includes providing medical care during national rugby events, with access to the best possible emergency and ambulatory care in the region. This further showcases the strength of emergency and trauma facilities at Fakeeh University Hospital.

Regular health checks ensure a perfect state for the body and mind to focus on the players’ goals. With an aim to improve overall performance, maximise and restore strength and function, the multidisciplinary team of sports medicine experts, along with cutting-edge technology and academic expertise, not only treat an injury but also provide complete physical therapy, rehabilitation, preventive guidance and support.

That is why the facility is trusted by professionals and champions choose to rely on us.

- Dr Muhammad Khalifa, Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Specialist, Fakeeh University Hospital

“That is why the facility is trusted by professionals and champions choose to rely on us,” says Dr Muhammad Khalifa, Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Specialist, Fakeeh University Hospital.

Expert care and rehabilitation

Fakeeh University Hospital’s multidisciplinary team of sports medicine experts, radiologists, physiotherapists, cast technicians, and nurses are highly experienced and trained globally. They provide sportspersons, fitness enthusiasts, and amateur athletes with superior and accurate diagnosis, joint saving surgical and non-surgical solutions, physiotherapy and rehabilitation for all kinds of sports- and fitness-related injuries and trauma.

Towards mobility and strength

The sports medicine experts at Fakeeh University Hospital not only treat an injury but also accompany sportspersons through their journey towards mobility and recovery by providing care, support, and guidance.

The aim of the multidisciplinary team is to maximise strength and function of the musculoskeletal system and provide faster and better recovery.

- Dr Uwe Nellessen, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Fakeeh University Hospital

“The aim of the multidisciplinary team is to maximise strength and function of the musculoskeletal system and provide faster and better recovery,” says Dr Uwe Nellessen, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Fakeeh University Hospital. “The intention lies in improving the overall performance of the sports enthusiast, aided by a better understanding of preventative measures.”

What patients have to say

A female rugby player patient at Fakeeh University Hospital, who doesn’t want to be named, says, “After a consultation and subsequent diagnosis at the Sports Medicine Clinic of Fakeeh University Hospital, I underwent an epiphyseal separation surgery. I am happy that the surgery did not take as long as I had expected, and the post-recovery for me is also going very well. The entire team at the clinic helped me throughout the phase. I am most grateful for the fact that my career did not require any breaks.”

A young footballer from the Al Ahli Sports Club says, “I was suffering from a stress fracture of the 5th metatarsal of the right foot, which was not getting diagnosed accurately at other hospitals. Only after I consulted Fakeeh University Hospital was the proper diagnosis made. An early surgical management was chosen for me by an experienced sports medicine doctor at the hospital. The surgery went very well and I am happy that my risk of non-union and recurring fractures was thus minimised. Most importantly, I was able to get back to active sports in the soonest possible way and without hassles.”

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