As a clinical fellow in Evangelisches Krankenhaus Hospital, Vienna, Austria : Department of Orthopaedics (2nd July to 28th December 2024)
As a Clinical Fellow under the esteemed mentorship of Prof. Thomas Mullner, I gained extensive experience in the comprehensive care of orthopaedic patients. My responsibilities included preoperative and postoperative management, clinical examination, evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment planning.
I assisted in numerous arthroplasty and arthroscopic procedures, ranging from straightforward primary cases to complex revision surgeries. These included primary and revision total knee and hip arthroplasty, reverse shoulder arthroplasty, and total hip replacement using both the direct anterior and anterolateral approaches, with and without a traction system.
I was involved in cases addressing gluteus medius insufficiency following total hip replacement, sports injuries such as primary and revision ACL reconstructions, arthroscopic labral repairs of the shoulder and hip, rotator cuff repairs, arthroscopic AC joint reconstruction, pectoralis major repairs, proximal and distal biceps tendon ruptures, quadriceps tendon ruptures, tibialis anterior repairs for both acute and chronic ruptures, hallux valgus corrections, ankle arthroscopy, total ankle replacements, and more.
The fellowship provided specialized training with the CORI Robotic Surgical System for total knee arthroplasty. I actively participated in preoperative planning and intraoperative adjustments to achieve optimal knee balance. Additionally, I assisted in two robotic-assisted revision total knee arthroplasty cases. This training significantly enhanced my clinical acumen, decision-making skills, and ability to manage complex cases.
Additionally, I attended a cadaveric workshop on the direct anterior and anterolateral approaches for total hip replacement, which offered valuable insights into these techniques and allowed me to connect with pioneers in the field. I also participated in a sawbone workshop on the CORI Robotic Surgical System, gaining hands-on experience with the robotic platform, which was an excellent learning opportunity.
Beyond clinical work, I was actively engaged in research during the fellowship. I reviewed several ongoing research articles and prepared a manuscript on a unique case report. The case involved knee reconstruction in a victim of the Israel bombing, presenting with post-traumatic right knee arthrodesis and patellectomy, as well as a contralateral above-knee amputation.
The reconstruction utilized a distal femoral endoprosthesis, a tibial tuberosity turn-back technique for patellar reconstruction, LARS mesh for the extensor mechanism, and a proximal ALT flap harvested from the contralateral amputated stump.
This fellowship was an invaluable experience, contributing significantly to my professional growth and expertise in advanced orthopaedic care.
