Dr De Vos – A Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Specialist in Pretoria
In recent years, the number of patients in need of a joint replacement has been increasing steadily, while the average age of those requiring this type of surgery has shown a tendency to reduce. Although physical injuries do account for a portion of these cases, the most common cause for a painful and swollen joint that must eventually be replaced with a prosthesis is the condition known as osteoarthritis. A leading orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Jan De Vos, heads up an orthopaedic unit at the Life Wilgers Hospital in Pretoria, where he specialises in performing hip and knee replacements, in addition to treating routine trauma cases.
After obtaining his primary medical degree from the University of Pretoria, in 1980, he completed his internship at the Nelspruit Hospital, whereupon he began a 4-year spell as a general practitioner in Secunda. Subsequent posts as a medical officer and registrar culminated in a master’s degree and the post of consultant at his former alma mater and HF Verwoerd Hospital. There, and at 1 Military and Kalafong hospitals, he completed his post-graduate training in orthopaedics, before entering private practice to join the staff of Life Wilgers Hospital in 1992.
Today, more than 25 years later and under the leadership of the award-winning orthopaedic specialist Dr De Vos, the Pretoria clinic has become a major referral centre for patient’s requiring hip and knee arthroplasty. These referrals come not only from medical practitioners across South Africa, but also include a growing number of patients from several overseas countries.
Over the years, the focus of the unit has undergone a marked shift. Whilst still providing treatment for trauma cases, as well as for those with various musculoskeletal conditions for which surgical interventions are unnecessary, the bulk of those who are seeking treatment from Dr De Vos at this Pretoria orthopaedic centre are now there to undergo elective procedures, such as total and partial hip and knee replacements.
Adding further to his responsibilities in the operating theatre, the orthopaedic specialist has played an active role in research, remaining at the cutting edge of his field. Among the most notable has been his work on the regulation of coagulation as a means with which to prevent deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) as a complication of orthopaedic surgery, and the approach to foot surgery for the treatment of compartmental syndrome. Over the years, he has authored and presented in excess of 50 papers to his peers, and a further dozen to audiences overseas.
Among the many contributions made by Dr De Vos and his team at the Pretoria unit, has been the development of arthroscopic procedures for the minimally-invasive examination and treatment of problems affecting the hip, knee, and shoulder joints. The use of an arthroscope not only provides real-time video images of the interior components of a joint but, in many cases, also offers the opportunity for a surgeon to proceed with a suitable intervention simply by making one or two additional keyhole incisions through which to insert the required instruments. Arthroscopic techniques avoid the complete exposure of the joint, thereby reducing blood loss, the risk of infection, and downtime.
For anyone experiencing severe hip or knee pain and, perhaps, impaired mobility, Dr De Vos and his team in Pretoria are the solution of choice.