As we near the end of another year that has been dominated by the challenges of Covid-19, it’s good to look back on the achievements of the last 12 months…. and there have been many!
Carrothers Orthopaedic has celebrated a number of important milestones this year and we are proud of the difference we have made – and continue to make – to our patients.
Working hard
If you are waiting for surgery, whether you are a private patient or NHS, once again the pandemic has led to interruptions in routine treatment and you may well be experiencing a worsening of symptoms. We know how frustrating and debilitating it can be and we would like to assure all our patients that we are working hard – like all of our surgical colleagues – to tackle the unprecedented backlog. Take a look at our blogs on the best way to manage your symptoms while you are awaiting surgery.
Mako milestones
We are continuing to use pioneering Mako robotic arm-assisted technology and in 2021, we celebrated our 280thsuccessful procedure. We were early pioneers of this innovative form of surgery, which ensures greater accuracy, faster recovery, reduced pain levels and improved implant survival in the medium-term. And we are pleased to note that there is now a huge volume of peer-reviewed studies – 278 at the last count – which clearly show the many benefits of the Mako system in supporting the skill of the orthopaedic surgeon carrying out joint replacement procedures.
Certifying other surgeons
This year, Andrew Carrothers became the first orthopaedic surgeon in the UK to use Mako in the same patient for all three of the most common joint replacement procedures – partial knee replacement, total knee replacement and total hip replacement. Carrothers Orthopaedics continues in his role as UK Mako faculty to certify other orthopaedic surgeons in the use of Mako robotic arm technologies and surgery. Andrew Carrothers now delivers the ‘Faculty Stryker Mako System Certification Surgical Training Programme: Mako Partial Knee and Total Knee, and Total Hip Applications.
Greater choice
As a patient, you now have a greater choice of locations for your Mako joint replacement surgery as we now have Mako at The Nuffield Hospital and Spire Lea Hospitals, both in Cambridge.
Andrew Carrothers was featured on the Jeremy Sallis Show on BBC Radio Cambridge, talking about Mako and Symbios customised hip replacements. He went down so well, he’s been invited back onto the show in January.
Certificate of Excellence
We’d like to say a big thank you to all of those patients who gave us such excellent reviews on I Want Great Care this year. We currently have 457 5-star reviews and have gained another Certificate of Excellence. We read all of your reviews and greatly appreciate your feedback about your treatment and the care you receive from Andrew Carrothers and the wider team.
A great team
Despite the ongoing challenges of Covid, we will continue to work tirelessly to deliver the best possible outcomes to all our patients. And we, too, would like to acknowledge the fantastic support we receive from the wider team, which includes surgical colleagues, nurses, anaesthetists and administrators, as well as all those who provide follow-up care (physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors). It really is a team effort and we value every one who helps the process to run smoothly.
Now on iPlayer
If you missed Andrew Carrothers last year in BBC Two’s Surgeons: At the Edge of Life programme, which showcased pioneering, complex and high-risk surgical procedures, you can now catch up with the programme on iPlayer. Andrew performs the highly complex Harrington Plus procedure, helping to give a new lease of life to a patient.
National and international speaker
Once again this year, Andrew has presented at many high profile conferences and events, albeit that a number of them moved online with presentations via Zoom. He gave lower limb presentations to GPs, physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors on behalf of Spire and The Nuffield Hospital. Internationally, he presented at the largest Trauma Conference in the world – The Orthopaedic Trauma Association Conference in Texas – and was honoured to give a podium presentation on the crucial topic of fragility fractures in the older population. He also presented at the Fracture Fragility World Congress in Toronto.
Research and trials
Here in the UK, Andrew has presented research findings at a number of leading conferences including The British Orthopaedic Association 2021 in Aberdeen and The British Hip Society 2021.
Sixty patients were recruited for the NIHR RFPB AceFIT NHS feasibility randomised control trial in older patients acetabular fractures. We are delighted that the ‘Fix and Replace’ concept championed for so long by Andrew Carrothers has performed well compared with the two other approaches – conservative management (no surgery) and fixation only (without the hip replacement).
We have also published research papers in eight peer-review publications, as well as attending numerous orthopaedic courses and conferences.
And not forgetting…
Last, but by no means least, we continued to sponsor our local under-12s football team for last season, The Shelford Strikers who, despite Covid, have had another fantastic season. Shout out for the dedicated parents, carers, families and friends who turn out week in week out to cheer them on irrespective of the weather.
May we wish you all a happy, healthy (and painfree!) new year.
Talk to an orthopaedic consultant | Cambridge
Please be reassured that despite the ongoing UK Covid-19 pandemic, orthopaedic treatments are now again being routinely offered to patients. Having the vaccine does not mean that your treatment won’t go ahead. However, in some circumstances, such as for planned surgery, it is advisable to delay it by a couple of weeks to ensure your body responds in the optimum way to the vaccine. If in doubt, please talk to your orthopaedic consultant or contact us for more guidance to help get your orthopaedic treatment back on track.
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For your convenience, we offer appointments at both Nuffield Hospital Cambridge and Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital.
