Dar Al Shifa Hospital

A boom of 100 TKR in Dar AL-Shifa Hospital

	The medical team in Dar AL-Shifa Hospital has achieved a great medical bounce in making 100 TKR in one year. The Orthopedic Surgery Consultant, Dr. Waleed AL-Tunaib, referred that success to the effective role of each one in the hospital, and to the continual efforts which have led to this great result. Here is an interview with Dr. AL-Tunaib:

	Would you tell us about the artificial joints? How do they work in place of the natural joints?
	God (Glory to Him) has created the joint into two parts; each of them moves smoothly and easily. Throughout the aging factor, together with diseases and much consumption, the soft surfaces become rough ones (osteoarthritis). The friction of these surfaces causes severe pain that the normal human being can’t endure, and leads to preventing the patient from movement affecting his/her daily activities ; therefore the patient is obliged to live in isolation from the society and the usual life. The only way for such a patient to retrieve normal life is the TKR, in which the artificial joint works exactly in place of the natural one.

	Does this mean that all joint-types require this operation?
	There are four degrees for osteoarthritis. Some of them could be improved by medication and sedatives; however, the severest type is the fourth one which can’t be cured unless by advanced surgical procedure to replace the joint.

	What is the nature of the surgery?
	TKR procedure is based on shaving the degenerated joint in s special way; then two metal pieces, made of special material, are placed over the bones of the joint. They will work in place of the natural joint. This procedure takes no more than 50 minutes nowadays; whereas, it used to take 4 hours in the past. The procedures of fixing the replaced joint takes about an hour and a half.

	What are the complications post-operatively?
	The complications don’t exceed 1 % of the cases, and this depends on how efficiently the procedure is done. At the beginning, the patient may feel slight pain because of the surgery; however, the pain starts improving up to 95 % throughout time, and the patient can continue normal life.

	What patient age is fit for TKR?
	TKR used to be done for old people around their 50s and older due to the difficulty of the procedure at that time. However, these days, it might be carried out for younger people due to the great revolution in the medical field all over the world.

	What is the expected duration for functioning of the joint? How can we protect it?
	The usual expected life of the artificial joint is 15 years or longer. There isn’t any procedure to be taken by the patient except for continual movement, which strengthens and protects the joint. The only solution for those patients is to undergo TKR to work in place of the natural joint.

	What are the expenses of this type of procedure?
	The procedure-expenses start from KD 3500 and more. The expenses depend on the investigations done by the patient in relation to the heart, for example. The main sum is about KD 3500.

	Are the implanted joints made locally or imported from outside?
	We import the artificial joints from the USA, Switzerland, Sweden and England. They are not locally made because they need highly sophisticated equipment and considerable capabilities.

	When did the TKR start in Kuwait?
	TKR started in Kuwait 30 years ago, but it wasn’t as efficient as it is now. The great development in the medical field helped increasing the rates of implementation of such procedures until they became highly efficient and the doctors became able to achieve the required success rates.

	In your opinion, what has led to the success of DASH to be one of the leading hospitals in Kuwait?
	DASH works in a systematic way, in which each member of the team completes the other. The patient finds himself/ herself a welcome by all staff in the hospital, starting from the reception to the nursing, up to the doctors. We are all ready for providing services for patients and we do our best for his/her relief and well-being.