UAE BARQ برق الإمارات – نبضك
Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC) has announced that it successfully completed the first hip arthroscopy in the UAE capital as part of a hip labral tear repair procedure for a 69-year-old Emirati patient.
The patient had been experiencing excruciating hip/groin pain for the past four years. Upon visiting SSMC and completing tests and appointments, she was diagnosed with a hip labral tear. The medical team opted to repair the labrum arthroscopically and the procedure was completed successfully.
The arthroscopic procedure involves the insertion of a narrow tube attached to a fiber-optic video camera and surgical tools through small incisions, approximately the size of a buttonhole. The procedure is designed to diagnose and treat joint pathology as a day care procedure.
Dr. Sheik Hussain, consultant orthopedic surgeon, SSMC, said, “The patient’s symptoms involved painful catching and locking sensation and despite her age there was minimal arthritic changes along with a labral tear confirmed by MRI scan which was a key factor in our decision to proceed with a minimally invasive tactic as opposed to a more traditional approach. We were hopeful to eliminate the hip pain by completing the labral repair. Considering the age, traditional surgery would have resulted in additional pain and lengthy recovery time with minimal overall benefit and also future surgery like hip replacement would have inferior outcomes.
Hip arthroscopy allows the surgeon to visualise the deep seated hip joint and surrounding areas outside the joint, and perform procedures without making a large incision. The advantages of this approach include limited trauma to the joint (which minimises hip pain and scarring), shortened recovery time, and less physical therapy during the recovery phase. In addition, traditional methods of hip surgery involve long scar, significant tissue trauma and placement of screws into the thigh bone, the removal of which requires a second surgery resulting in increased risk of infection, clots in the leg vein, and a lengthy hospital stay and rehabilitation phase.
“Nine out of 10 patients who undergo a hip arthroscopy are discharged on the same day fully weight-bearing and within one week can stop using crutches,” added Dr. Hussain.
Following the hip arthroscopy and labral repair, the patient spent one day in the hospital before going home, underwent physiotherapy, and continued visiting SSMC for follow-ups to monitor her progress. She reports drastically decreased hip pain and better function.
