The prevalence of osteoarthritis in adults over the age of 65 in Saudi Arabia is nearly 60 percent and is considered one of the leading causes of disability among this age group¹. Medication and a change in lifestyle are the recommendations most people are comfortable with; however, Total-Knee Replacement surgery (TKR) is often the most effective option for people with severe pain in their knee joints, functional disabilities, or who have not responded to nonoperative treatment.
Unfortunately, TKR does not have a high adoption rate in the region. A cross-sectional study conducted in Saudi Arabia in 2017 to assess attitudes towards TKR surgery found that only one-third had knowledge of TKR even though factors such as age, income, and a positive history of TKR or knowing someone who underwent the surgery had a positive impact on attitudes.
"In the early 2000s, patients were worried about not being able to walk, pray or sleep, but to avoid surgery, they were reluctant to admit that they were suffering. People preferred to rely on pain medication, Now, patients are more open to the idea of TKR because they hear and see success stories from people they know." Dr. Mojieb Manzary, JHAH Consultant Orthopedic and Reconstructive Surgeon.
“Results of a study conducted in Jeddah showed that patients 80 years and older had the quality of life outcomes similar to patients in their 50s and 60s."
”The benefits of the procedure, improvement in quality of life, pain relief and restoration of daily physical activity, are well established in the medical literature and across medical registries."
To learn more about knee replacement surgery, please visit the JHAH Health Encyclopedia.
JHAH has established an enviable reputation as a world-class healthcare provider that uses leading technologies and treatments to enhance the lives of families across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. JHAH’s joint replacement team provides advanced, comprehensive care to help improve quality of life, range of motion, and mobility.
At the center of JHAH’s joint replacement program is a team of subspecialized orthopedic joint replacement surgeons who have been trained at leading institutions in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. The JHAH joint replacement team is fully trained and qualified to screen, test, diagnose and provide treatment for hip and knee problems, including joint-replacement surgery when necessary. The entire joint replacement journey is conducted in a multidisciplinary fashion that includes experts in nutrition, anesthesia, pain management, and endocrinology.
A critical factor for any joint replacement surgery is perioperative rehabilitation. At JHAH, rehabilitation is handled by a highly trained and skilled team of physiotherapists who use world-class equipment and techniques. A unique feature in JHAH’s approach is pre-habilitation, a concept that offers patients rehabilitation care and preoperative optimization plans before surgery. This plan is developed by a team of JHAH physiotherapists in partnership with the patient.
JHAH provides a customized solution that is tailored to individual patient needs so each patient can return to pre-surgical fitness as quickly as possible.
Did you know that Saudi Aramco employees and their dependents who are registered with a JHAH network provider (MDF) can request to have their joint replacement surgery performed at JHAH? They can. Want to know more? Request a call-back from our team, and we will walk you through the process and eligibility criteria located here.
Citations:
(Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2013 Sep; 21(9):1145-53).
Al-Mohrej, O.A., Alshammari, F.O., Aljuraisi, A.M. et al. International Orthopaedics (SICOT) (2018) 42: 819. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-017-3743-4