DBAJ Surgeons to address 1st Orthopaedic Conference at Arab Health Conference 2005

DBAJ will be the largest single contributor to the conference with Dr. Chris Whately, Chief Orthopaedic Surgeon at DBAJ also being the only speaker to be offered two seminar sessions at the one-day event.

"Having established in September 2004, it is our first chance, as a medical centre, to participate in the Arab World's largest series of health conferences and, naturally, we jumped at the opportunity of lending our immediate support", said Whately.

"There is little doubt in our mind that Arab Health 2005 offers the best chance for medical professionals from around the region to come together and share the developments in innovation, equipment and practices. For our part we wanted to commit more than support and, therefore, my colleague Dr. Desmond Kwok and I presented three separate seminars in our respective sub-specialist fields" added Whately.

Dr. Whately presented two separate seminars on the topics of Limb-Lengthening and Deformity Correction (11am) and Hip Preservation in Young Adults (4pm). With congenital or trauma and other secondary problems, such as polio, patients can be left with one leg shorter than the other or suffer from severely deformed limbs. Dr. Whately, an expert in limb deformity correction using the most up to date Ilizarov techniques, the Taylor Spacial Frame and a special computer program linked to a server in the US that can calculate the correct rotation and correction of the bone. This program is currently unavailable to any other medical centre in the UAE.

Dr. Kwok discussed the sensitive issue of Failed Back Surgery (2.30pm) and exploring the concerns of matching patients' and doctors' expectations and due diligence in the diagnoses.

"There is not so much talk in the regional medical community about problems and concerns of treatment and surgery which I believe could pose long-term damage to doctors and patients alike, if left unchecked. Arab Health is the perfect opportunity to gather together the Middle East's doctors and surgeons and discuss these issues and highlight how we, as doctors, can better address the concerns of patients, offer realistic and thorough diagnoses and perhaps most important of all, not to shy away from asking for help - from time to time", says Kwok.

Dubai Bone & Joint Center (DBAJ) was established, under the patronage of HH Gen. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum - Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Defence Minister, with a clear aim of catering to the growing need in the Middle-East region for sub-specialist orthopaedic treatment and surgery. With US$20 billion currently being spent by Arab nationals on medical care in Europe and North America - 25% of this amount on orthopaedic treatment - DBAJ evidently appears to be responding to a clear patient demand.

"Both Dr. Whately and I have worked in the UAE for a number of years and we knew that as conditions and treatment becomes increasingly complex, there was a definite patient-need for a sub-specialist clinic and hospital" added Kwok.

DBAJ claims that patient demand absolutely influences its hiring policy of recruiting each surgeon based on their specific or sub-specialized orthopaedic expertise and that these skills must be supported by internationally recognized qualifications, standards of practice, experience and training.

Sub-speciality care refers to the focused, specialized treatment by a surgeon who deals only in one area of orthopaedic treatment. For example, sports medicine, spinal conditions, or specific focus on the knee, limb lengthening and related conditions.

The launch of DBAJ has been divided into two stages. "Phase 1" was the September 2004 opening of the out-patient clinic on the 50th floor of the Emirates Towers, "Phase 2" will be the opening of a 100-bed hospital, in late 2006.