BY JBEST ·From Caribbean Medical News

Health City Cayman Islands has completed 500 successful orthopedic surgeries two and a half years after it opened its doors.

“We are proud to have achieved this milestone in such a short period and look forward to embracing new technologies which have completely changed the way surgeries are performed,” said Dr. Alwin Almeida, Health City’s Chief Orthopedic Surgeon and Joint Replacement Specialist.

Health City’s Department of Orthopedics provides both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic treatments, including joint replacements and reconstruction, deformity corrections and arthroscopic surgeries of the knee and shoulder which are minimally invasive. Health City also employs the latest advancements in medical technology, such as computer-navigated robotic-assisted surgery.

Dr. Almeida, who is a member of the American Orthopedic Association, brings 10 years of experience to his role at Health City. He has performed more than 4,000 orthopedic surgeries and specializes in joint replacements, sports medicine and arthroscopic surgeries.

“Health City is fast becoming the Caribbean’s first choice for tertiary level care in orthopedics, due in large part to the level of expertise of our dedicated staff,” said Dr. Almeida.

The hospital regularly sees patients from beyond the Cayman Islands – they arrive from the Caribbean, Latin America and North America. Doctors in many Caribbean countries are referring patients to Health City’s specialists, and some governments are looking to replicate the Health City model in their own countries.

As Dr. Almeida and his team celebrate their 500th surgery, they remember many of the orthopedic procedures they performed were routine, but they have seen some more challenging cases come their way, too.

He recalls a revision hip replacement for a patient who had excessive bone growth in the muscles surrounding his hip, and two polytraumas – consisting of multiple bone fractures across the body – in patients who were involved in severe car accidents.

All three patients required complicated surgeries, but all have recovered well.

“We also had a 90-year-old lady with pneumonia and atrial fibrillation, who suffered a hip fracture,” Dr. Almeida said. “It was a very high risk surgery given her age and comorbidities.”

The patient, who was transported to Health City via air ambulance, was the second orthopedic trauma case to come from Turks and Caicos. “Traditionally, the Caribbean is known to airlift these patients to the U.S. or Colombia, but we are now getting these cases to Cayman, which is a major shift in practice,” said Dr. Almeida.

Health City patients have the advantage of a team consisting of two senior orthopedic specialists involved in their overall care at the hospital. Dr. Almeida commended Dr. Niranjan Nagaraja, Health City’s Senior Orthopedic Surgeon, for contributing to the successful outcomes since joining the hospital in the past year.

“Dr. Nagaraja is a very skilled sports medicine surgeon who is responsible for starting the hip arthroscopy program at Health City,” he said, noting that they collaborate and work as a team, especially in the treatment of challenging and difficult cases.

Founded by renowned heart surgeon Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, the hospital has quickly established itself as a premier medical facility in the Caribbean, offering a patient-first approach to healthcare as well as a comprehensive list of medical services and surgical procedures.

For more on this story go to: http://www.caribbean360.com/news/cayman_islands_news/health-city-cayman-islands-completes-500-orthopedic-surgeries#ixzz4TwQnCa12