Saint James Hospital perform another two surgical firsts in Malta
“We have always strived to ensure that Saint James Hospital Group provides a comprehensive private health care service, while at the same time translating medical knowledge into improved patient care,” director Jean Claude Muscat emphasised.
In fact, locally innovative surgical replacements – namely hip resurfacing and shoulder replacement were successfully performed recently at Saint James Hospital. “We look upon such interventions as further milestones in our role as service providers in the private healthcare sector,” added Mr Muscat. Though the interventions were performed at the Zabbar hospital, the service is offered in all the group’s hospitals.
“Through the outstanding work of our excellent team of specialists, we are now offering two innovative pain relief medical services. Up till now, shoulder replacement interventions that were not available in Malta, have now been introduced at Saint James Hospital, thereby ensuring another first for us as a group.
“Such interventions have further expanded a patient’s range of options in hip replacement surgery in order to maintain full mobility and a high rate of activity in addition to excellent pain relief,” said Mr Muscat.
Hip replacement is one of the most successful operations in Orthopaedic Surgery, providing excellent pain relief to patients suffering from arthritis or conditions leading to damage and deformity of the hip joint.
Nowadays, patients increasingly demand greater freedom in order to return to full activity in their work and leisure, and therefore have to undergo surgery at a younger age. In response to this, and in keeping with conservative surgery with less pain and shorter hospital stays following an operation, resurfacing of the hip was developed.
Known as the Birmingham hip, where the operation was popularised, this operation was introduced for young patients initially as a stop-gap operation but the results have proved to be increasingly more successful. The operation involves recapping of the worn out femoral head with a metal cap and lining the hip socket (acetabulum) with a metal cup.
This preserves the head and neck of the femur as opposed to the original hip replacement operation. The improved study and production methods of the large metal on metal components has led to a bearing with a very low rate of wear which avoids the polyethylene debris that leads to loosening of the usual metal on plastic hip replacements.
The shoulder replacement surgery is known as the Nottingham shoulder and it is mainly beneficial for conditions such as osteoarthritis and was the very first operation of its kind to be performed locally.
Such interventions are necessary when major wear and tear is present in the mentioned joint, most common in elderly people. The advantage of such an intervention, which for the first time is being offered in Malta by Saint James Hospital, diminishes discomfort and further expenses of travelling and lodging abroad.
Performed under general anaesthetic, the procedure lasts approximately one-and- a-half-hours; such innovative surgery means shorter hospital stays and a faster recovery period. The post-operative period usually necessitates a two to three day hospital stay after which the patient would be required to undergo physiotherapy.
Mr Muscat concluded by saying: “Both interventions provide excellent pain relief in a short span of time, removing discomfort and pain brought about through worn out joints. This increase in the portfolio of medical services offered by Saint James Hospital Group is in line with our vision and philosophy of offering innovative treatments in parallel with the Group’s continued investment in the latest medical technology and this, of course coupled with the expertise of top notch Specialists.
The recent Sunday Times survey, which showed that 65 per cent of those questioned preferred the private sector, are an additional drive for our Group to confirm, maintain and upgrade such philosophies.”