10 When Mr. Sabur Malek became an orthopaedic consultant back in 2011, he already had seven years in the industry, primarily in NHS settings across England and Wales. Having now filled more than half a dozen different positions relating to orthopaedic surgery, first in NHS facilities and then in private practice for the likes of Nuffield Health, Sabur is today a hip and knee replacement surgery specialist, operating mainly out of Stafford’s Rowley Hall Hospital and Birmingham’s West Midlands Hospital. Concentrating on clinical work and treating both NHS and private patients at both of these hospitals, Sabur is afforded the opportunity to carry out a more patient-centred approach to care, and we catch up with him to find out more about this role. In the field of hip and knee surgery, Sabur Malek is somewhat of a celebrity, famed in industry circles for his particular expertise regarding minimally invasive surgery and subsequent enhanced recovery protocols. Leveraging this approach, patients can recover much quicker when compared to traditional methods, as well as dealing with considerably fewer complications, resulting in a client that is ultimately much more satisfied, healthier, and stronger. Key to achieving this is Sabur’s renowned reduced incision sizes, 2.5-3 inches for the hip and 4-6 inches for the knee respectively, which is substantially less than the industry standard of 10-12 inches from traditional replacement surgery in these areas. As one can imagine, a shorter incision brings with it a host of benefits, as not only is the area of scarring much smaller and thus more cosmetically pleasing, but less of an incision also significantly reduces the chances of infection and the complications that can arise from bleeding. This is a method that Sabur has more than perfected over the last decade or so, and in the year 2022-23 alone, he performed exactly 572 joint replacements, specifically, 253 hips, 185 total knees, and 134 partial knees. Sabur explains that this made him, “one of the very few surgeons crossing 500 joint replacements a year in the UK.” He continues, “these numbers are steadily going up, and I expect to cross 700 joints this year.” While such impressive numbers speak for themselves, Sabur is not the sort of person to rest on his laurels, and with every single person that comes in, he makes patient satisfaction his top priority, treating everyone with the uppermost empathy and compassion, addressing them as an individual person as opposed to simply a patient. A big part of this is using nothing short of the best implants for the job, with extra time and care also being taken prior to the operation in collaboration with the nursing and physiotherapy teams to ensure a streamlined and uniform approach to providing the best possible care. This distinction is accurately reflected in the hundreds of great testimonials gracing the review website iwantgreatcare.org. More than just Sabur himself, many of these testimonials make explicit reference to the holistic care that is provided, with Sabur telling us, “these also highlight the importance of working with a competent team that includes a compassionate consultant anaesthetist, pleasant ward staff, knowledgeable theatre staff, a compassionate physio team, as well as enthusiastic clinic staff.” Sabur also mentions the excellent staff at the receptions, in the kitchens and admin offices, the cleaners, and the members of the senior leadership teams of both hospitals, as well as the private patient and GP liaison teams, without whom, the picture would remain incomplete and the ship unable to run as tightly as it does presently. Of course, the medical sphere extends far beyond just the facilities where Sabur works, and as such, he strives to remain updated on all of the advancements being made in the field, which presently include the likes of day surgery replacements, robotic assisted surgery, and increasingly modernised implants that offer up better outcomes for patients. Regardless of these developments, Sabur states that he, “strongly believes that surgical experience is the key to a successful outcome.” He continues, “I strive to keep improving my surgical skills and aim to make these operations as successful as possible.” This commitment is so important in this post-pandemic world, where the NHS is under tremendous pressure thanks to patient backlogs, with the wait times for joint replacements one of the areas that has been hit the hardest. While this number is coming down slowly, Sabur predicts that more people will require such an operation as time goes on, making it incredibly difficult for NHS staff to keep on top of things. As a result of these long waits, the cost of private treatment has risen exponentially over the past few years, exacerbated by demand and an increase in overall expenses. Through Sabur’s aforementioned enhanced recovery protocols and safe, quick discharges however, more people can be treated well. As he looks towards the future, Sabur expects the rest of 2024 and subsequent years to bring increased footfall to his practice, with more people seeking out his pioneering knee and hip replacement solutions. Furthermore, Ramsay Health Care, which is responsible for the management of the hospitals Sabur works at in both Stafford and Birmingham, has increased infrastructure and the capacity of facilities, providing new day surgery units to hold more patients. Sabur expects that over the coming years, they will be made yet bigger still, as the health service secures its footing once more. Sabur notes, “one should bear in mind that this increase in capacity is not just for private patients but also to treat more NHS patients.” Far from the first accolade that Mr. Sabur Malek has received for his outstanding work in the field, we are exceptionally proud to name him as the Hip & Knee Surgeon of the Year 2024 (Midlands), and champion his tremendous approach to hip and knee surgery that offers a reduced recovery time, less chance of complications, and a much less noticeable scar. For everything from total hip Hip & Knee Surgeon of the Year 2024 (Midlands): Sabur Malek
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