gulftoday.ae | No (k)need to go abroad.

DUBAI: Ten UAE residents have recently undergone knee replacement surgeries under the auspices of the Ministry of Health (MoH), and conducted by a noted knee replacement surgeon from England at a government hospital in Dubai.Eight of the 10 underwent total knee replacement operations while the other two had partial knee replacements at the Al Baraha Hospital.

Knee replacement or knee arthroplasty “is a surgical procedure to replace the weight-bearing surfaces of the knee joint to relieve the pain and disability of osteoarthritis. It may be performed for other knee diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis,” according to Wikipedia.

Lead surgeon was Dr Graham Sefton of the Harrogate Hospital in North Yorkshire, who was assisted by the Al Baraha Hospital-Orthopaedics Department head Dr Mohamed Fouad and his team.

Sefton is among nine medical consultants from distinguished medical institutions in England, Russia and Egypt, invited by the MoH to conduct surgery and treatments to both Emirati and expatriate residents across the country until next month.

Sefton saw 40 patients at Al Baraha during his visit until May 18.

Quoting hospital director Ahmed Obaid Al Khadeem, an MoH press statement released on Tuesday said all patients began physiotherapy sessions on the third day after the surgeries.

The patients were relieved of lingering chronic pain.

They expressed joy that there is a government programme aimed at helping individuals across the UAE get the best medical and health services, without going overseas which might have become more expensive.

The knee replacement or knee arthroplasty project at the Al Baraha hospital is ongoing and according to Al Khadeem, on queue are 12 Emiratis.

Meanwhile, University of Sharjah Hospital orthopaedic surgeon-consultant Dr Ahmed Abaub defined osteoarthritis as the “wear and tear of the cartilage and joints, a part of the ageing process which can be worsened by overweight and over-use of old fractures.”

He explained to The Gulf Today what osteoarthritis is, when he talked about knee injuries related to sports leading to the July 27 to Aug. 12, 2012 London Olympics, in an earlier interview.

Abaub said osteoarthritis and other bone diseases may be prevented if one keeps fit “by doing physical activities that strengthen both the muscles and the bones.”

As for the knee injuries related to sports “due to contact” and common among young sportsmen, Abaub advised not to forget the necessary warm-ups.

He stressed that trainers must be well-versed in sports injuries.

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