January 29, 2018; Dubai, UAE:  Offering non-surgical solution to the debilitating issue of increasing bone and joint problems in the UAE, today RAK Hospital announced the launch of the revolutionary stem cell therapy for the treatment of arthritis and other joint related issues. The ground breaking treatment is introduced to exponentially reduce a person’s need for surgery. Instead of having to replace a knee with an artificial implant, stem cell therapy in knee-joints can be used to re-grow new and healthy tissues that have been damaged or are degenerating.

 

The benefits of stem cell treatment are huge and the costs involved are reasonable, the procedure is relatively quick, compared to surgery and the outpatient procedure can be done in a single day (a few hours, to be more precise). Moreover, the recovery time is minimal as you walk in and walk out of the procedure on your own, and your daily routine should stay the same. 

 

In addition, Stem cell therapy for knees is natural; it uses Mesenchymal cells of the body that act as repairmen cells of the body and cultures them in the lab for treatment. As we age or get injuries, sometimes the body cannot get enough of these critical repair cells to the injured area. The Regenerative Cell therapy helps solve this problem by greatly increasing body’s own natural cells repairing and promotes healing. This is accomplished by harvesting cells from areas of the body known to be rich in mesenchymal stem cells and then concentrating those cells in a lab before precisely re-injecting them into the damaged area in need of repair. 

 

People who have encountered an injury to the knee or have chronic knee pain due to a past injury or arthritis are good candidates for knee stem cell therapy. The treatment is particularly useful for patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, knee injury, torn cartilage or tendons and rotator cuffs. 

 

The Centre will be led by world-renowned Knee Regenerative and Reconstruction Specialist Dr William Andrew Hodge who has joined the able team of doctors at RAK Hospital as Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon. Dr Hodge is the patent holder of the ‘Arabic Knee’ in the Middle East, and has designed, patented and perfected joint resurfacing, and conducting over 6,000 knee joint and 3000 hip joint procedures globally to restore patients to lead active lifestyles without significant limitations or pain. In all, he has treated over 100,000 joint patients worldwide using the revolutionary therapy. 

 

Speaking at launch on the 1st day of Arab Health exhibition, where the announcements were made, Dr William Hodge said, “Arabs appear to injure knees earlier and more often than people in other parts of the world. In fact, a recreational football player in the UAE is five times more likely to suffer a serious knee injury requiring surgery than one in Europe or the US. Soaring obesity rates and kneeling down to pray several times a day can be some of the contributing factors to this situation. With the introduction of this new way of treatment, our aim here is to preserve the natural joint and utilize your body’s ability to heal, getting back to active life quicker and pain-free. Additionally, cartilage damage and arthritis can be delayed and we can even avoid surgery. However, if the joint has advanced destruction then surgical resurfacing and repair may be needed”, 

 

As per the published data, one in five UAE residents suffer from arthritis. Unhealthy, calories-laden diet, inactive lifestyle, active and passive smoking and Vitamin D deficiency further aggravate the condition, not only limiting the mobility of the patient, but also causing the joints to weaken and making patients vulnerable to injuries and causing chronic pain. 

 

Commenting on the launch, Dr Raza Siddiqui, CEO Arabian Healthcare Group and Executive Director, RAK Hospital added: “I am extremely delighted to introduce Dr. Hodge at this forum and to bring his specialization to the doorsteps of people in the UAE. Doctors and scientists view the growth of stem cell treatments very promising and the treatment of knee arthritis is especially very popular in US and we wanted people of the UAE to avail this sitting here at a cost far lesser than they would have paid otherwise. I believe, this is just the beginning and we hope that we will continue to further explore non-surgical options extensively”.

 

Dr Jean Marc Gauer, CEO, RAK Hospital, added: “Living with a painful condition that gets progressively worse is not an option. In the UAE, where thousands of people suffer from knee-joint problems, regenerative treatment is the best possible solution. The key, however, is to address the pain early so that the road the recovery can be quick. Even slight swelling could be a warning sign of a more serious condition”.

 

RAK Hospital’s Bone and Joint Centre offers Regenerative Joint Clinic, Stem Cell Center, Rehabilitation Recovery Center, Restorative Surgery with regenerative tissue therapies, and knee-joint resurfacing technologies for the management of arthritis and accelerated wound healing.