Department of Arthroplasty - ATOS Orthoparc Clinic Cologne

About the Department of Arthroplasty at ATOS Orthoparc Clinic Cologne

According to the Focus magazine, the Department of Arthroplasty at the ATOS Orthoparc Clinic Cologne is one of the best medical facilities in Germany for knee and hip surgery! 

The department offers a full range of medical services in the field of joint replacement surgery. An experienced team of orthopedists successfully performs knee and hip replacement surgery. Surgical options include partial and total arthroplasty, as well as revision joint replacement surgery. Patients after hip replacement surgery are offered a special accelerated mobility program called "Rapid Recovery". Before prescribing arthroplasty, the attending physician studies the patient's medical history and conducts a comprehensive diagnosis, the results of which determine the advisability of surgery. Arthroplasty is performed using minimally invasive techniques and computer-assisted navigation, providing patients with the desired result and a high degree of treatment safety. The department's surgeons have successfully performed tens of thousands of knee and hip replacements, so patients can trust them with their health.

The Head Physician of the department is Prof. Dr. med. Joachim Schmidt. The specialist has more than 30 years of clinical experience in the field of joint replacement surgery. During his practice, he has personally performed over 10,000 surgical procedures, including especially complex ones. Prof. Schmidt is one of the best arthroplasty specialists in Germany, whose exceptional professionalism is recognized by patients and the national and international medical communities.

The department enjoys the status of an Arthroplasty Center certified in accordance with EndoCert standards. This certification is only awarded to the best medical institutions in Germany specializing in joint replacement surgery. The department has accumulated impressive experience in the field of knee replacement surgery for patients with advanced stages of gonarthrosis. The pathology causes severe symptoms such as severe pain, stiffness in movement (in advanced stages, gonarthrosis may lead to complete immobilization and disability), lameness, and swelling in the area of ​​the affected joint. Unfortunately, the symptoms of end-stage knee arthrosis are hardly amenable to conservative therapy, so the specialists of the department resort to surgery. The essence of arthroplasty is to replace the knee joint with an artificial prosthesis, which allows to restore mobility and eliminate pain. Depending on the severity of the knee joint damage, the patient may be indicated for partial or total joint replacement surgery. The operation is performed using minimally invasive techniques under local or general anesthesia; the duration of the surgical procedure is about 1.5-2 hours. After arthroplasty, it is recommended to undergo rehabilitation in a specialized center, because only an experienced rehabilitation specialist can help the patient to master the skills of walking with a prosthesis and consolidate the results of the operation. The department's orthopedists implant high-quality prostheses with a minimum life span of 20 years.

The department's team of doctors is also successful in hip replacement surgery. The operation is indicated for hip arthrosis (coxarthrosis), avascular necrosis of the femoral head, hip dysplasia, and periprosthetic fractures after primary arthroplasty. The above pathological conditions cause painful sensations in the joint and radiating pain (for example, in the groin or thigh), limited mobility, lameness, and thigh muscle atrophy. To eliminate them, painkillers, physiotherapy, intra-articular injections, and other therapeutic measures are used as first-line treatments. If these fail, partial or total hip replacement surgery is indicated. The specialists of the department perform arthroplasty with cementless and cemented fixation: the first option involves fixing the prosthesis by hammering it into the bone, it is most often indicated for young patients; cemented fixation uses a special polymer bone cement, since the patient's own bone tissue does not have sufficient density for reliable fixation of the prosthesis (this technique is usually used in elderly patients). Hip replacement surgery is performed in the department using minimally traumatic techniques that ensure minimal blood loss and the fastest possible restoration of mobility in the postoperative period. Return to full activity after hip arthroplasty takes 6-12 weeks, depending on the individual characteristics of the body.

The department's clinical focuses include the following:

• Partial and total knee arthroplasty
• Partial and total hip arthroplasty
• Revision knee and hip arthroplasty after primary prosthesis implantation
• Special postoperative recovery program after hip arthroplasty – "Rapid Recovery"
• Other medical services