IGMH and Hulhumale' Hospital launch new hip and spine surgeries

A significant advancement in medical care has been achieved by two government hospitals in Male' city with the successful introduction of two complex surgical procedures: direct anterior total hip replacement and endoscopic spine surgery.

Hulhumale' Hospital successfully conducted its first minimally invasive anterior total hip replacement in the Maldives on Wednesday. The orthopedic team was led by Dr. Ahmed Azim Abdul Shakoor, Consultant in Orthopedics and Head of department of Surgery at Hulhumale' Hospital.

The surgery was perfomed on a patient diagnosed with avascular necrosis of the hip joint. This condition results from a disrupted blood supply to the hip joint, leading to bone tissue death.

The anterior approach utilized by the Hulhumale' Hospital team is a minimally invasive technique that uses a natural muscle plane, thereby minimizing muscle damage.

This approach often leads to several benefits for patients, including shorter hospital stays, reduced pain, faster recovery, and a lower risk of dislocation due to soft tissue preservation. Hulhumale' Hospital emphasized that this procedure is distinct from other joint replacements due to its minimally invasive nature.

On the same day, IGMH also performed a first-of-its-kind surgery in the Maldives: endoscopic spine surgery. This cutting-edge, ultra-minimally invasive technique is designed to treat various spinal conditions with precision and minimal disruption to surrounding tissues.

The procedure involves inserting a thin, flexible tube called an endoscope which is equipped with a high-definition camera and light, through a tiny incision, often as small as a quarter of an inch. Surgeons operate using micro-instruments while viewing the spine on an HD monitor, enabling highly accurate treatment of spinal issues.