Rare 3D Ankle Surgery Successfully Done First Time in Kerala

KOCHI:
VPS Lakeshore Hospital in association with the Indian Foot & Ankle Society (IFAS) on Saturday successfully performed a live surgical workshop on Osteochondral Lesion of the ankle joint with Episealer Implant imported from Episurf, Sweden. The rare feet surgical procedure was conducted by noted surgeon Dr Rajesh Simon, Senior Consultant and Foot & Ankle Surgeon at VPS Lakeshore Hospital and current President of IFAS along with Prof. Niek van Dijk, former head of the Orthopedic Department of the Amsterdam University Hospital, and founder of the Orthopedic Research Center Amsterdam and the Amsterdam Foot & Ankle School. Prof. Niek is currently working at the FIFA Medical Centers of Excellence in Madrid. This is the first time that such a surgery was performed in Kerala.

“The goal of the surgery was to restore the ankle function and reduce the pain significantly, as well as stop or delay the need for a joint replacement surgery or ankle fusion”, said Dr Rajesh Simon, who led the surgery. The individualized design of the Episealer Talus implant and Epiguide are based on images generated from MR and/or CT scans. “By processing the data, a virtual 3-D model of the damaged talus surface is created and the lesion is defined. Subsequently, the Episealer and instruments are designed to remove the damaged tissue as well as to restore the area with a perfectly fitting implant. Using the Epiguide during surgery increases the precision of the surgical procedure for optimal positioning of the implant”, Dr Rajesh Simon added.

The Episealer is made of cobalt-chrome alloy. The part of the Episealer that is countersunk in the bone and cartilage is covered with a titanium undercoating and a hydroxyapatite outer coating, ensuring a quick and lasting fixation to the bone. Personalized treatment option that replaces the affected area of the joint surface was developed by Episurf Medical.

Episurf Medical is a Swedish surgical and medical instrument manufacturing company that endeavors to bring people with painful joint injuries a more active, healthier life through the availability of minimally invasive and individualized treatment alternatives.