Orthopedic Surgery
Advanced therapies ranging from orthopedic care and trauma, sports medicine, the development of prostheses and orthosis techniques, as well as a long tradition of research and teaching privilege this specialty in Cuba.
Cuba boasts development on updated scientific bases and high competence in orthopaedics at international level, including in complex applications such as arthroscopy, external fixtures, sports trauma, research on osteoporosis, hip fractures in the elderly, coxarthrosis in the hip, among others.
As part of its specialisation in the treatment of complex trauma conditions or severe after-effects of trauma due to dislocations or fractures, it has successfully developed a line of work for the care of disorders of high incidence in high-performance athletes, ballet artists, the world of dance and circus art, among others, which makes it a highly sought after medical tourism destination for this specialty.
The services provided by this program are:
- 10 cm bilateral tibia elongation surgery
- Knee arthroplasty (unilateral)
- Short-stay knee arthroplasty (unilateral)
- Correction of angular knee deformity
- Hallus Valgus correction
- Treatment of meniscus injuries / chondromalacia / synovitis
- Non-cemented hip arthroplasty
- Short-stay non-cemented hip arthroplasty
- Cemented hip arthroplasty
- Spine surgery programs
- Lumbar degenerative disc disease S / facet arthritis
- Treatment of lumbar disc herniation/degenerative disc disease
- Treatment of lumbar canal stenosis
- Cervical degenerative disc disease surgery (cervical discectomy plus disc prosthesis or dynamic box)
- Treatment of cervical disc herniation
- Treatment of lumbar disc herniation
- Treatment of demyelopathy (laminectomy)
- Treatment of thoracic herniated disc
- Surgical treatment for scoliosis
- Correction of severe scoliosis (double approach)
Arthritis
Arthritis affects joints and causes symptoms like pain and stiffness. There are more than 100 types. The most common types are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It often starts when a person is between 30 and 50 years old. Women are more likely to be affected than men. Today over 6 million Canadians have arthritis – that’s 1 in 5! 1 in 4 Canadian women and 1 in 6 Canadian men have arthritis. While arthritis affects people of all ages, the likelihood increases with age. People with rheumatoid arthritis can also develop problems with other tissues and organs in their body. There’s no cure for arthritis, but there are many treatments that can help slow it down. The aim is to slow joint inflammation and to prevent join damage. These treatments may include drugs, physiotherapy and surgery. Depending on the individual case, the Cuban medicine uses all three.
Cuban scientists have developed the drug Jusvinza, with immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects, to use in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Raúl Cepero Morales, a specialist in rheumatology, has pointed out that no adverse effects have been registered so far. In the case of its use in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, the State Center for the Control of Medicines of the island said that the drug demonstrated quality, safety, and efficacy in the proposed indication after a rigorous process of evaluation of the evidence presented. Another prominent technique used by Cuban rheumatologists is arthrosopy, a minimally invasive surgical procedure on a joint in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage is performed. Finally, there is “Anamu” or Petiveria alliacea, commonly known as “garlic weed” due to its strong garlic-like odor – a “natural” medicine derived from a herb that grows wild in Cuba and can reportedly fight arthritis, malaria, rheumatism and memory problems, Cuba’s official news agency AIN said. The benefits of balneotherapy, while inconclusive, may also have a positive effect.