Staff Reporter
Once a patient is told they need a knee or hip prosthesis, the next step is deciding which to choose. A major development has taken place in arthroplasty in recent years, namely creating customised individual prostheses using 3D printing.
Dr Ignatios Chatziandreou is an orthopaedic surgeon and a pioneer in Germany in the field of customised prostheses, and he was also the first orthopaedic surgeon to offer this system in Spain. Born in Athens, he studied medicine at the J-L University in Giessen (Germany). From 2011 to 2015, he was a senior physician in the Department of Arthroplasty specialising in hip and knee prostheses at the Orthopaedic Clinic of Dortmund Hospital (Germany). His main specialisation is the implantation of prostheses using modern and minimally invasive surgical techniques with minimal scarring and tissue trauma. He also has enormous experience in revision surgery with prosthesis replacements.
‘There have been major developments in arthroplasty in recent years. With standard implants, there is a relatively high rate of dissatisfaction, 15%, with mostly unremarkable X-rays. Patients complained of a foreign body sensation, swelling, pain or restricted mobility, ’ explains Dr Chatziandreou.
With today’s technology, it is possible to create a virtual 3D model of the joint using a CT scan and determine the optimum implant for this joint, just like a copy of the natural joint. A 3D printer prints this prosthesis and all the instruments specific to the operation. In this way, we can adapt to the patient’s individual anatomy and subsequent complaints can be largely avoided. ‘The surgical techniques and surgical approaches are also an important point. My patients can get up the next day after the operation and walk with their full weight. We now also offer customised prostheses for the hips and shoulders, while other joints, such as the ankle, are in the trial phase.’
In 2012, Dr Chatziandreou was one of the pioneers in Germany to start implanting customised knee prostheses using 3D printers. ‘We could reduce the rate of dissatisfied patients to less than 5 per cent, ’ he explains.
Many international patients consult the German-speaking doctor. ‘The Spanish and English healthcare systems are associated with extremely long waiting times for operations. Patients who are not prepared to wait search the internet and often come across me because of my reputation. They then send me the pictures and medical history and if they decide to have the operation, they come here to Marbella,’ he explains.
Dr Chatziandreou lives in Marbella. He opened his private practice in 2018 and has received important awards in Spain for his experience and commitment: in 2019, the ‘Atusalud’ received the ‘Pasteur II Prize for Medicine, Pharmacy and Biomedical Research’ from the then health minister, Maria Luisa Carcedo, in 2021 the ‘Premio Pasteur II. for Medicine, Pharmacy and Biomedical Research’ and in 2023 the National Prize for Medicine of the 21st Century.
The German Clinic IMED has moved and is now located in the new, larger and modern premises at Calle Jacinto Benavente 10, 29601 Marbella. Telefono de Contacto +349514103. Email: info@german-clinic.com https://german-clinic.com/
