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“King Faisal Specialist Hospital” Expands Its Orthotics & Prosthetics Department and Launches New Technologies

Includes Electronic Three-Dimensional Technology in Prosthesis

His Excellency Dr. Qasim Al Qasabi, Chief Executive Officer of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre launched the new expansion and new services of the Orthotics & Prosthetics Department at the hospital which includes advanced equipment to manufacture prosthesis at high precision and electronic three dimensional technology.

Dr. Al Qasabi explained that the Orthotics & Prosthetics Department at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh offers complete services to patients who have complicated bone and muscle problems in addition to those who lost one or some of their upper or lower limbs. He pointed out that the new expansion has been made to accommodate the increasing number of cases with the latest techniques available in this field.

King Faisal Specialist Hospital, he added, receives complicated cases of patients who need prosthesis and treats huge number of children and adult patients with bone cancer. Some cases he explained, require the need to amputate a patient’s limb to save his or her life. This is in addition to receiving other amputation cases resulting from diabetes, congenital deformities and road accidents. Those patients he emphasized receive complete care at the Department of Orthotics & Prosthetics to provide them with advanced prostheses that enable them to carry on their normal lives in society.

Burhan Saeed Dar Director of Orthotics & Prosthetics Department at King Faisal Specialist Hospital, Riyadh said that the new department expansion included launching advanced technologies such as CAD/CAM which allows the specialist to pass a scan on the limb that needs replacement or orthotic and stores data in a computer before the necessary adjustments are made by the specialist. This will correct the limb’s posture of the patient. He explained that this data is transferred directly from the computer to an auto control and manufacturing device which makes a three dimensional mold resembling the prosthesis or orthotic needed. This technology he added enables the specialist to store data for each patient and send it to any centre around the world which has this technology.

The Director of Orthotics & Prosthetics Department added that the department also started an electronic upper limbs program that rely on muscle contraction which allows patients with upper amputations to control their hands electronically which are fed through electronic signals sent from the brain via the nerves system.  

He pointed out also that the department is developing at a fast pace and won an award for best research in a conference recently held in Colorado. He indicated that the department is participating in various scientific researches in cooperation with local and international centres. He explained that the Orthotics & Prosthetics Department is working in collaboration with other departments at the hospital such as bones clinic, neurology, physiotherapy and other related departments in an effort to achieve the appropriate treatment plan for every patient according to his or her individual needs.