Worthing surgeon reaches surgical milestone with 500 knee replacements

Mr Lewis and the operating theatre team outside Goring Hall Hospital.

A custom knee replacement differs from a traditional knee replacement. Mr Lewis, who qualified at Guys Hospital Medical School, said: “Knee replacement surgery is primarily focused on treating knee pain. A custom knee replacement involves removing parts of the patient’s knee joint that have become damaged over time. The damaged or diseased parts of joint are then replaced with an artificial element.

“Rremoving the damaged parts of the joint elevates the source of pain and helps the patient move freely again. Using specialist technology like Conformis, helps me tailor implants specifically to the patient I am treating. Each one is bespoke.”

Approximately 100,000 knee replacements are performed in the England and Wales each year. Though the surgery has been around since the 1970s, custom knee replacements like the kind Mr Lewis offers, are a relatively new phenomenon.

When asked what makes a custom knee replacement unique, Mr Lewis said: “Medical engineering really interests me and particularly the technology that surgeons use in knee replacements. The technology I use which is provided by Conformis is designed to mimic the natural shape of a patient’s knee. We take a CT scan of the knee prior to surgery and then begin building a 3D model of what the anatomy looks like. This information then informs how the implant used in the surgery is designed. It is entirely unique to the patient and their needs.”

To date, Mr Lewis has performed over 500 of these complex surgeries and is now recognised as one of the most experienced orthopaedic surgeons using this technology in Europe.

When asked what the achievement meant to him, Mr Lewis said: “I went into medicine because I want to make people better. I am happy to have played a part in helping the patients I have seen improve their quality of life. I’ve always said if I needed a knee replacement then I would opt for a custom replacement.”

On the completion of Mr Lewis’ 500th operation the team at Goring Hall took the opportunity to organise a small celebration. Mr Lewis plans to continue working his way towards his 1000th in the not-too-distant future.