Thammasat hospital in new joint venture

Thammasat University Hospital (TUH) is to open a new centre for the comprehensive treatment of knee and hip joints during the first quarter of this year.

The initiative is part of the “Thammasat University Hospital 4.0: Building a People-centric Organisation for the Future” blueprint, according to Assoc Prof Dr Paruhat Tor-Udom, director of TUH.

The specialised centre will be the first public hospital in Thailand to introduce robot-assisted joint replacement surgery which increases the accuracy of the procedure and prevents further injury to surrounding tissue.

Assoc Prof Dr Paruhat said the hospital recognises the problems faced by rheumatic patients and has been dedicated to the development of orthopaedic treatment since its establishment in 1987, and the development of a specialised care team using the latest technology is the next step in that mission.

“Patients can expect a better treatment and support experience. Robotassisted joint replacement surgery is the latest approach and offers a greater precision as the alignment of the prosthesis is more accurate and this results in reduced injury to surrounding tissues as well as faster recovery after surgery,’’ he said.

Osteoarthritis is most common in the elderly, with incidences in the knee and hip now affecting more than six million as the country’s age demographic trends upwards.

Over the next 10 years, it is predicted that nearly one-third of the country’s population will be considered as “ageing”, therefore susceptible to conditions that can make independent living particularly difficult, according to Dr Paruhat.

TUH currently performs an average of 1,000 knee and hip joint replacement surgeries per year, and hopes to see this number jump to over 4,000 after the inauguration of the new centre, he said.