I AM A CONSULTANT ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON PRACTICING IN NORTH WALES AND SPECIALISING IN HIP AND KNEE PATHOLOGY. 

 

I graduated in Medicine in 1992 in the Medical School of Bilbao and Saint Sebastian, part of The University of The Basque Country. I came to the UK for my postgraduate training starting my House Officer jobs in 1993 and later progressing through Surgical Senior House Officer posts including a Basic Surgical Rotation. During my surgical placements in various specialties I decided to become an Orthopaedic Surgeon. I became Fellow of The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1999 and given the FRCSEd in General Surgery. 

 

MY ORTHOPAEDIC TRAINING WAS BASED IN THE SOUTH WEST REGION OF LONDON

 

After a year as a Senior SHO in Frimley Park Hospital I was admitted to the South West Thames Orthopaedic Training Programme based around St George's Hospital, the University Teaching Hospital. The standard and quality of the Orthopaedic Consultants working in the District General Hospitals that serve the County of Surrey was exceptional. So was the training received. I still remain indebted to all those who taught me at the time. I obtained the FRCS (Tr & Orth) qualification after examination in Norwich, in November 2005. 

 

I WAS FELLOWSHIP TRAINED IN HIP AND KNEE ARTHROPLASTY IN THE ROYAL NATIONAL ORTHOPAEDIC HOSPITAL, STANMORE. 

 

I was appointed as a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon to Ysbyty Gwynedd (Gwynedd Hospital) in Bangor in 2008. This was a Lower Limb Arthroplasty post for a surgeon with an interest in Paediatric Orthopaedics, as I also trained in a Clinical Fellowship in Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgery in Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. I have been improving the services provided to the patients that our hospital serves bringing innovative technologies to improve surgical accuracy and clinical outcomes with shorter lengths of stay. In the last 12 years Bangor has consistently achieved the lowest deep and superficial wound infection rates in Wales thanks to our elective ring-fenced arthroplasty unit. We need now to increase our capacity to expand this quality service to the population at large.

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Average loss of blood after Total Hip Replacement procedures is 300 mls and the length of stay is 2 days. We have had day case hip replacements in few indicated cases but we are working with the protocols to make it more accessible for more patients. MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGICAL TECHNIQUES like the SuperPATH approach combined with the most up to date anaesthetic interventions and ENHANCED REHABILITATION PROTOCOLS assist achieving this short lengths of stay. 

 

MEDIAL PIVOT KNEE REPLACEMENTS provide the highest stability and most natural feel amongst all knee implants available in the market. PATIENT SPECIFIC MOLDS for personalised and more accurate knee implant positioning have been successfully used in my knee replacement practice. The average length of stay after Total Knee Replacements is 3 days.

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96% OF TOTAL HIP REPLACEMENTS AND 82% OF TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENTS ARE SATISFIED OR VERY SATISFIED WITH THEIR SURGERY.

100% OF PATIENTS WOULD RECOMMEND THE TREATMENT AND CARE RECEIVED IN OUR UNIT TO THEIR RELATIVES AND FRIENDS.

 

I WILL CONTINUE TO WORK HARD TO MAINTAIN THESE STANDARDS IN THE FUTURE.  

 

Koldo Azurza.

 

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