Nano arthroscopy surgeries utilising a 'nano needle' to examine and treat joint interiors have commenced for the first time in the Maldives at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital and Dharumavantha Hospital.
The procedure addresses small joint complications through a minute puncture, requiring a substantially smaller incision than standard arthroscopic surgeries. Administrators noted the flexible, injection-needle-thin camera allows medical staff to inspect joints easily and identify underlying problems, an innovation Dr Ismail Zahir, an orthopaedics physician, called a profound advancement.
"The nano-needle camera is a highly flexible instrument capable of being bent and inserted into extremely confined anatomical spaces for direct visual examination," Zahir explained, adding it allows clinicians to evaluate cartilage deterioration, bone growth, and ligaments to "confidently establish a clinical diagnosis without the necessity of conducting an MRI."
The service reduces recovery times and simplifies anaesthesia care, Dr Asadh Mohamed Shaheed of the anaesthesiology department observed, noting it resolves challenges for critically ill patients, improves pain management, and expands rehabilitation.
"Both the mandatory hospitalisation duration required for the surgical procedure and the patient's subsequent discharge home can be significantly expedited," Asadh stated, meaning these interventions can be managed as outpatient day-care procedures, providing "substantial functional convenience for the patient."
The teaching institution has steadily accumulated advancements, including 4K arthroscopic cameras introduced last October, which provide four times greater clarity and deliver a substantial educational benefit to training medical students.