Charcot foot diagnosis in Memorial Bahcelievler Hospital Istanbul

About the department

The Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Traumatology, Hand, Foot Surgery and Spinal Surgery at the Memorial Bahсelievler Hospital Istanbul offers the full range of high-quality diagnostic and therapeutic services in the areas of its specialization. The department's medical team has tremendous experience in the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases of varying severity. The doctors regularly undergo advanced training courses and internships abroad in order to gain knowledge and skills in the application of innovative treatments, which is a huge advantage for patients. The specialists approach each orthopedic problem comprehensively, competently combining medical treatment, physiotherapy and, if necessary, surgical intervention. The treatment regimen is developed for each patient individually, taking into account current clinical protocols and recommendations of professional societies in Turkey, Europe and the United States. The Chief Physician of the department is Prof. Dr. med. Ufuk Ozkaya.

The department successfully performs arthroscopic interventions on the knee, shoulder, elbow, wrist and ankle joints. Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure, which can be used both for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. When performing the operation, the surgeon makes small incisions (usually no more than 1 cm), through which he inserts optical devices and special instruments into the joint cavity. With the help of an arthroscope, the surgeon examines the joint from the inside with 12x magnification, assesses the condition of all anatomical structures, and then performs the necessary manipulations. Arthroscopy has many advantages over open surgery, including minimal period of recovery, mild pain, no scars, etc.

Special attention in clinical practice is paid to lengthening and straightening the long bones of the upper and lower limbs using the Ilizarov apparatus. The technology is suitable for the treatment of adults and children. The main advantages of the Ilizarov apparatus include stable fixation of bone fragments, atraumatic operation, preservation of blood supply to bone fragments and the possibility of early restoration of functional load. The device is multifunctional – the same components can be used in traumatology and orthopedics for different problems. To achieve the best treatment results, the department's specialists often resort to combined therapy – external fixation using the Ilizarov apparatus and internal fixation using an intramedullary rod (especially in the case of lengthening the femur and tibia). The combination of these two techniques allows the doctor to accelerate recovery – correction using the Ilizarov apparatus takes quite a long time, while the use of an intramedullary rod speeds up the process.

Hand diseases are treated by the specially trained team of competent experts. The department's surgeons successfully perform microsurgical interventions for the restoration of integrity of the fingers, correction of congenital and acquired defects, reconstruction of tendons, wrist and finger joint replacement surgery. In their work, the doctors use advanced medical equipment, which allows them to carry out the most complex high-precision operations with minimal injury rate to healthy tissues. The microsurgical correction is complemented by follow-up restoration of hand motility with the help of physiotherapy and a special set of physical exercises.

In addition, the department's specialists deal with the treatment of musculoskeletal and sports injuries. The presence of the most advanced technical base and competent medical personnel in the field of traumatology allows the specialists to carry out treatment of injuries of varying severity. In addition to classical therapeutic methods (bone repositioning in the case of fractures, forcible reduction of deformity, application of plaster bandages, fixing and corrective splints, therapeutic exercises, physiotherapy, etc.), the department effectively uses innovative techniques – injection of stimulants for bone formation, closed intramedullary osteosynthesis, arthroscopic interventions for intra-articular fractures, the use of the very latest prostheses and others.

The range of medical services is complemented by pediatric orthopedics and traumatology. The medical team admits young patients under the age of 16 for treatment. The department is one of the largest and leading highly specialized Pediatric Centers of this kind in Turkey. It provides the treatment of gait abnormalities, foot and ankle diseases, congenital deformities of the lower limbs, hip dysplasia, spinal diseases and deformities. During the treatment of young patients, the doctors necessarily take into account the age of the child, the features of his growing body. This allows the child to develop normally after the treatment of orthopedic problems.

The main clinical focuses of the department include:

• Knee, shoulder, elbow, wrist and ankle arthroscopic surgery
• Correction of limb deformities (impaired length and shape of the limbs, axial curvature) using the Ilizarov apparatus and its combination with intramedullary osteosynthesis
• Hand surgery
  • Trigger fingers
  • Dupuytren's contracture
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Fractures of the finger phalanges and wrist bones
  • Injuries of the peripheral vessels and hand nerves
  • Flexor and extensor tendon injuries
  • Hand neoplasms
  • Compression neuropathies
  • Hand burns and frostbites and their complications
• Foot surgery
  • Clubfoot
  • Flat feet
  • Pes cavus
  • Ankle arthrosis
  • Hammer toe
  • Heel spur
  • Congenital foot deformities
  • Ingrown nail
• Spinal surgery
  • Spinal fractures
  • Scoliosis
  • Dislocated vertebrae
  • Spinal instability
• Traumatology, including sports injuries
• Orthopedic diseases and injuries in children
  • Gait abnormalities
  • Foot and ankle diseases
  • Congenital deformities of the lower limbs
  • Hip dysplasia
  • Spinal diseases and deformities 
• Other therapeutic options