Leading Middle East orthopedic surgeon pioneers new knee joint implant in the region

Now, Dr. Samih Tarabichi, one of the Middle East's leading orthopedic surgeons who has performed over 4,000 total knee replacement procedures, has become the first surgeon in the Middle East to perform knee replacement surgery using an innovative knee system that not only restores nor mal knee function but also offers enhanced durability which extends the working life of the joint for patients.

Whilst knee replacement procedures are becoming more common, patients in general, and younger patients specifically, are becoming more demanding and looking for durable knee implants to assure the longevity of the joint, improve their quality of life and to minimize the need for a repeat procedure. Knee implants traditionally contain nickel which can cause problems for patients with nickel sensitivity, so it is essential to find an implant with the least nickel content, for these patients.

Dr Samih Tarabichi, Director of the Total Joints Replacement Regional Center of Excellence at the American Hospital Dubai, who performs hundreds of knee replacement procedures every year, has completed two successful knee replacement procedures using the new system, called 'Journey'. The implant is manufactured from a patented material called 'Oxinium' (oxidized zirconium) which offers enhanced functional and performance benefits for patients, and avoids the issue of nickel sensitivity.

Speaking specifically about the 'Journey' implant, Dr Tarabichi comments: "It has a promising future especially for patients requiring implants with a longer life span, such as the young and active. The two patients fitted with the new 'Journey' implant are both doing very well, walking independently and without the use of a cane, four weeks after the surgery. We selected 'Journey' for one young patient who needed to regain his active lifestyle and for whom the implant will provide a longer term option. The second patient had nickel-sensitivity and so this implant was the natural choice as it is almost nickel free and designed to minimize debris."

The American Hospital Dubai, which is the only private hospital in the UAE with Joint Commission International accreditation, created the Total Joint Replacement Center of Excellence in 1999, when Dr Tarabichi joined the hospital.

According to Dr Tarabichi, the demand within the region for knee replacement surgery is growing rapidly, as the benefits become more understood. "Years ago, an arthritis patient may well have been resigned to life in a wheelchair but there are many options now available. Less than 10 years ago, we were performing two or three knee replacement surgeries per year at the American Hospital Dubai, but today, that number has increased to more than 400 every year, stimulated by the fact that local, Muslim patients realized that they could continue to meet their cultural and religious obligations (kneeling, praying) after the procedure."

The knee replacement operation is a successful procedure which produces excellent results; the medical industry is fine-tuning the procedure by developing new implants to suit the different needs of patients. "With the range of knee implants now available, the choice of an implant is a critical decision for each patient; there are implants to suit the different needs of patients, whether it is a hinged implant or a more durable knee for a younger patient. The surgeon must guide the patient and also achieve the best fitting implant possible."

The greater choice of knee implants for surgeons and patients, combined with the increasingly critical nature of the selection process, has led Dr Tarabichi to call for a regional joint registry to improve the selection process. "Most of the developed countries have what is called a joint registry which helps the surgeon and the patient to select knee implants, achieve better control of implants and better outcomes for patients," he says. "My hope for the Middle East is that we can develop our own registry to follow up on patients and compare outcomes to Western statistics and to make this a measure of our quality control.

"We owe it to our patients; I have my own registry of almost 1,800 patients from the last six years and we will continue following up on this to improve the outcome of the surgery in general, and I hope other orthopedic surgeons within the region will start doing the same," he concludes.