Improving patient outcomes in orthopaedic surgery
Under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the International Congress for Joint Reconstruction – Middle East (ICJR-ME) got underway today at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre and was officially inaugurated by the Director-General of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), His Excellency Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid. The event attracts more than 40 international speakers, over 25 exhibiting companies and 400 of the regions leading orthopaedic surgeons.
Addressing members of the ICJR-ME conference delegation during the opening address, HE Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid said: “At the DHA, hosting as well as supporting medical congresses is an important part of our vision, as we firmly believe such congresses provide a platform for specialists from all over the world to discuss the latest advances in their field. The range of topics, which will be discussed during ICJR-ME, highlights its importance. This conference will provide orthopaedic surgeons, rheumatologists and orthopaedists an opportunity to discuss the most recent developments in their field.”
Jointly organised by Informa Exhibitions and the International Congress for Joint Reconstruction (ICJR), this event will focus on updating the skills of regional professionals in order to grow the trend of performing world class total joint replacement in the Middle East.
Sharing experiences from across the globe, experts such as Prof. Hamid Hosseinzadeh, Orthopaedic Surgeon from Akhtar Orthopaedic Hospital in Iran, spoke to ICJR-ME conference delegates about a variety of topics including the role of genetics in total knee and hip replacement surgery.
“In our hospital, we usually perform more than 500 hip and knee arthroplasties each year. While most of operations are done on patients with arthrosis - mainly due to age and lifestyle - in recent years, there is a growing interest in finding a genetic basis for arthrosis. In Iran, our research team has investigated this theory and found a specific gene more prevalent in those who have knee arthrosis. We now know that genetics play a major role in knee arthrosis in some ethnic groups,” says Prof. Hosseinzadeh.
Dr Ahmed Abdul Aziz Ahmed, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Cairo University, also shared his experience of joint reconstruction surgery in Egypt.
Dr Ahmed said: “While there are no official statistics available for knee and hip replacement in Egypt, we mostly treat old people with degenerative joint disease. However, obesity is definitely a factor with younger patient making joint disease more symptomatic. Surgery to reconstruct a joint is very costly and very invasive and we encourage all patients to watch their weight with regular gentle exercise to avoid surgery.”
Running alongside the Congress is an exhibition with 25 companies showcasing their latest products and services. Key organisations include Zimmer, DePuy, Smith and Nephew, Bayer Healthcare, MSD, Boehringer Ingelheim, American Hospital Dubai, Karl Storz and Stryker.
ICJR-ME will continue on 2-3 March with free entrance to the exhibition for all trade professionals. For more information, visit www.icjr-me.com.