US surgeons visit Belgian hospitals to gain expertise in thumb prosthetics
A dozen leading surgeons from the US have completed a training course in thumb prosthesis at two Belgian hospitals. In October, a group of Belgian surgeons will visit hospitals in the US.
“Belgium is internationally recognised as a leader in thumb prosthesis surgery,” says AZ Monica in Antwerp, which hosted the exchange alongside Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg (ZOL) in Genk.
The surgery is carried out on patients with thumb arthritis, which affects an estimated 5 per cent of the male and 3 per cent of the female population.
Until recently, treatment consisted of fusing the thumb joint or removing the carpal bone. These techniques are still widely used, but a different approach is being taken in Belgium.
“We started placing thumb prostheses years ago,” says Dr Joris Duerinckx, a surgeon at ZOL. “The thumb joint is replaced by a prosthesis in the form of a miniature ball joint, similar to a hip prosthesis. This offers patients more freedom of movement and comfort than traditional procedures.”
Belgian expertise is recognised internationally, with requests for training coming from Australia, Asia and the US.
“Our programme will finish with a practice session in the anatomical lab near Geneva, where surgeons can apply the technique on cadavers,” says Duerinckx.
“The results of thumb prosthesis surgery speak for themselves: 90 per cent of patients are satisfied with the result, compared to 80 per cent with traditional methods.”
#FlandersNewsService | Illustration © PHOTO ROBERT MICHAEL / DPA
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