August 30, 2011
School of Medicine, Kochi
For thousands of people suffering from severe knee pain and disability in the knee joint caused by rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis or traumatic injury, knee replacement surgery comes as a blessing.
It can help such people lead a fuller, more active life, relieving their pain and misery.
Training nearly 120 surgeons from Kerala and other states in various aspects of knee replacement surgeries, the Amrita Department of Orthopaedics at the School of Medicine organized a one-day live surgery workshop on August 20, 2011.
“Knee replacement surgery is one of the most common joint replacement surgeries and the number of people requiring this surgery is increasing every year,” stated Dr. Vijayamohan, Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedics, the organizing chairman of the workshop.
Inaugurating the workshop, Sampoojya Swami Poornamritananda Puri reminded delegates that all doctors have the unique opportunity to help people alleviate their suffering.
International experts Dr. Frederick Buechel who has worked in the field of total joint replacements since 1974 and Dr. Michael Pappas, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology, led the discussions.
The workshop included three live surgery demonstrations. Dr. Buechel led all three surgeries. Recognized for his pioneering work in the area of mobile bearing, Dr. Buechel is credited with the development of the world’s leading mobile bearing knee, the New Jersey LCS Total Knee System.
“We do not encounter such a vast diversity of deformities that the Amrita doctors see in this part of the world,” he stated. “This could partly be due to greater awareness among people in the West and consequently decisions to undergo surgeries at an early stage.”
Dr. Pappas, the designer engineer for the mobile bearing knee concept, explained various biomechanical aspects of designing a knee prosthesis.
Both doctors were very impressed by the infrastructure at the super speciality hospital AIMS.
In addition to the two international experts, Dr. Suryanarayan and Dr. Samuel Chithranjan, both senior consultants from MIMS Hospital in Calicut, participated.
The workshop aimed to provide adequate exposure and training to orthopaedic surgeons who attended. Case discussions and interactions between faculty and delegates regarding various aspects of total knee replacement made up the rest of the proceedings.
“It was a very good workshop,” stated one participant.
“Apart from the academic knowledge we received, we were also able to palpably feel the love and compassion that patients receive here, where doctors strive to make Amma’s teachings a part and parcel of their lives.”
