News & Updates

Burjeel Hospital Dubai, Pioneers in total hip replacement procedure

Hip replacement is currently one of the most common orthopedic problems, especially in UAE, and Burjeel Hospital for Advanced Surgery (BHAS), Dubai, is one of the leading hospitals specialized in treating hip related ailments.

Earlier, the main focus of Total Hip Replacement procedure was mainly to reduce pain of patients after the surgery, especially for those who were athletes or experts in water-sports.Prof. Dr. Med. Dr. Ing. Matthias Honl, Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon, specializing in Joint Replacement and Sports Medicine at BHAS, said, “It happens frequently that patients approach us, saying: Please doctor give me a total hip replacement because I want to win the Iron Man, the only medal I did not achieve in my life.”Having similar concern, Patrick Bol, a 53-year-old who received his hip replacement at 49, asked his surgeon Dr Matthias: “Can I row over the Atlantic Ocean with my new hip joint?”

Sharing his condition, an extremely active and outdoorsy Patrick said, “I messed up my hip due to running 3 marathons and doing severe exercise in Army (at least 6120km marches with 15kg backpacks). After a 10km run in Dubai I suffered stiff hip/ leg for 5 months.” Before going for the operation, Patrick said he “did exercise for six weeks to make muscles strong” and after the surgery, Partick was “able to drive motocross bike in sand dunes”. Patrick and his team, who dedicated their lives to eradicate plastic pollution from the oceans, rowed for a record time of 27 days 2500 NM (4600 km = 700.000 strokes) in their custom made Dh1.8 million boat named ‘Year of Zayed’ (sponsored by DP World).Partrick recalled, “During our trip to Atlantis, we were facing several technical and psychological problems like broken rudders and a breakdown of our water makers, our hands and bum were sore from rowing but never my hip joint was giving me any pain or trouble”.

According to a study by Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research® (CORR®), a publication of The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons®, hip replacement surgery can not only improve the quality of life but is also associated with increased life expectancy, compared to people of similar age and sex. Explaining the procedure, Dr. Matthias said, “We perform our hip replacements in a minimal invasive technic without damaging any muscles. This prevents pain and loss of function around the surgery and facilitates rehabilitation extremely. We use an electric traction device for leg exposure during surgery. We implant cementers artificial joints often made from titanium. The joint itself has a bearing of 3rd generation ceramic against ceramic, which is extremely resistant against wear and guarantees longevity of the artificial hip joint and allows usage in extreme conditions like Patricks rowing tour over the Atlantic. Components and is most often covered by insurance and generate quick recovery. The surgery offers an extreme high success rate and provides not just an unsurpassed patient experience, but also the best possible outcome. As such, individuals who suffer from any symptoms of hip pain should seek expert advice and perform the necessary action to attain relief from pain.”

Talking about the increasing number of hip replacement surgery in the UAE, Dr. Matthias Honl, said “Hip replacements are on the rise in the UAE and across the world and is most commonly recommended for severe osteoarthritis and inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoidarthritis or for problems with development of the hip during childhood. Hip surgery may also be needed for fractures of the hip, including those resulting from osteoporosis. The largest group is patients between 50 and 80 years, and we’re doing more hip replacements especiallyon young patients than we have in the past.”

About his experience at BHAS, Patrick said, “Burjeel has been a blessing. The facilities at the hospital are extremely good, and the staff is polite and friendly. It’s a pleasure to be at a hospital that takes care of its patients.”

Although a number of surgeries are performed mostly on elderly people around the world, in recent years, the treatment has also been done on younger people. Dr. Matthias explained, “There are no set rules when it comes to hip replacement. While the surgery is commonlyassociated with older patients, in truth it’s a life-changing procedure for anyone with a worn hip joint.”

While hip problems are common, most of them are often neglected. Studies indicate that treating hip problems at an early stage can help patients live longer. As such it is essential to look for signs that may indicate a hip problem.According to Dr. Matthias there are several signs to identify hip condition right from soreness during or after exercise, pain that interferes with dailyactivities, difficulty putting shoesor socks, stiffness in the hip, hip or groin pain that prevents walking normal distances, or there is a problem standing on one leg for more than a minute, if a person experience any of these signs, he should consult a specialist or seek help from an expert.