UAE: 33yr old Dubai resident Mr. Thomas McNally had undergone a major Hip Surgery in Ireland back in 2019. Being an avid sports enthusiast, Thomas gradually returned to the playing field but lacked the vigour and exuberance he once had. Despite a long open surgery, he continued to experience intense pain in his hip, which negatively impacted his day-to-day life, preventing him from playing sports. He suffered a traumatic hip injury during a game recently and was received through the Emergency Department of Adam Vital Hospital, Dubai.
Thomas was immediately attended by Dr. Ossama Abdallah, Danish Board-Certified Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon and Hip & Sports Medicine Expert. After thorough clinical examination and investigations, Thomas was diagnosed with the same problem he had before – labral tear and femoroacetabular impingement, a medical condition that usually requires open surgery. Dr. Ossama instead planned to arthroscopically operate the patient at the recently launched Advanced Hip Arthroscopy Unit of the Adam Vital Hospital in Dubai. Having performed more than 1500 major hip surgeries globally, Dr. Ossama’s modus operandi is “joint preservation instead of replacement”.
According to Dr. Ossama, “Arthroscopy is no longer just limited to the shoulder and knee joints. Hip Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that allows doctors to view the hip joint without making a large incision (cut) through the skin and other soft tissues. Arthroscopy is used to diagnose and treat a wide range of hip problems. It examines the interior of a joint by using an arthroscope or scope – a flexible, fibre-optic tube with a tiny camera connected to a monitor. This procedure allows the surgeon to see a magnified view of the joint and diagnose the actual cause of hip pain. Arthroscopic hip surgery is usually conducted on an outpatient basis, where the patient returns home on the same day of the surgery. Depending on one’s findings and the type of treatment that will be performed, arthroscopic hip surgery may take between 30 minutes to two hours.”
Hip arthroscopy has been very effective for the treatment of numerous athletic injuries, including labral tears, the removal of bones spurs that cause a condition called “impingement,” injuries to the cartilage surfaces, hip instability, injuries to the ligamentum teres, snapping hip syndromes (internal and external snapping hip) and the removal of loose bodies. In addition, Hip Arthroscopy can be used as a diagnostic tool to look inside the hip joint of patients with long-standing, unresolved hip joint pain that cannot be clearly visualised on other diagnostic investigation. Hip Arthroscopy is performed most commonly in the age group between 40 – 49 and statistics show it’s a little more common in men and among athletes whose sports and activities involve rotating and twisting leg motions, such as golf, soccer, ice hockey, ballet, and football.
Advantages of Hip Arthroscopy over traditional Open Hip Surgery are:
· Causes very little trauma to the joint, which minimizes hip pain and scarring.
· Is generally done on an outpatient basis where patients return home after the procedure.
· Typically has a short recovery period.
· May postpone the advancement of hip arthritis by treating its cause in the early stages.
· Can delay or eliminate the need for a hip replacement by preemptively treating conditions that cause osteoarthritis of the hip.
“I was constantly researching for reputable hip surgeons globally to appropriately diagnose and resolve my problem. I was very happy to learn of Dr. Ossama Abdallah, who was very compassionate in explaining my condition and the expected positive outcome by performing rapid recovery key-hole Hip Arthroscopy surgery. Having visited several orthopaedic surgeons, I was really convinced by Dr. Ossama’s scientific approach. I feel very fortunate in the current climate to experience exceptional care right here in Dubai by the wonderful caregivers at the Adam Vital Hospital without having to travel overseas for treatment”, said Mr. Thomas McNally.
There are a handful of orthopaedic surgeons globally to perform advanced Hip Arthroscopy surgeries. Adam Vital Hospital’s Hip Arthroscopy Unit, led by Dr. Ossama Abdallah, is well equipped with cutting edge infrastructure and experienced clinical teams to offer world-class Hip and Pelvic care in the heart of Dubai city.
“Athletes subject their bodies to extreme forces; the hip joint may experience forces up to five times body weight during activities such as running, jumping, and twisting. Most sports players strain their bodies and do not notice a sports injury unless it gives them intense symptoms which affect their movements. I would advise all professional and amateur sports players to seek expert medical opinion immediately if they experience instability anywhere in the body,” said Dr Ossama Abdallah.
Thomas McNally experienced a noticeable improvement in pain and functional restoration following the minimally invasive surgery. He was able to walk right after the surgery, and with the help of physiotherapy, he’s already on the road to recovery and will soon be back to his sports activities again.
About Adam Vital Hospital:
Adam Vital Hospital is part of the reputed Adam Vital Healthcare group with its origin in Germany, and a strong footprint in Dubai, UAE, since 2011. Adam Vital Healthcare group brings the most advanced musculoskeletal medicine to Dubai through a Specialised Orthopaedics and Neurospine Hospital located in Al Garhoud and a world-class Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Center located in Nadd Al Hammar, equipped with the latest cutting-edge medical infrastructure.
