Osseointegration by Relimb™

Our private Osseointegration by Relimb™ services are provided at the Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead .

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Relimb™ was set up in 2018 to provide an amputee reconstruction service for patients based in the UK and abroad.

Relimb™ is based at the Royal Free London Hospital and is part of the private patients’ unit (PPU). At its core, the Relimb™ team is led by plastic surgeons Mr Norbert Kang and Mr Alex Woollard, who work in close partnership with Professor Munjed Al-Muderis who is based in Sydney, Australia. Professor Al-Muderis has been a major figure in the field of osseointegration surgery since 2010. He is credited with taking a surgical technique that was still considered as experimental and making it routine.

Relimb™ recognises the critical importance of an MDT approach to the treatment of amputees to achieve the very best outcome and we are proud to work with prosthetists, orthotists, physiotherapists, rehabilitation physicians, psychologists, orthopaedic surgeons, engineers and scientists who all contribute equally to achieve our shared aims. These team members are mainly based in the UK and we rely on all of them to support our patients both before and after surgery.

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What we offer

Osseointegration

For some patients, fitting a prosthetic limb or body part in the traditional way, using a socket (for upper or lower limb amputees) or skin-adhesives (for facial prosthetics), can be just too difficult to manage. These patients may benefit from advances in Prosthetic Reconstruction using a surgical procedure called osseointegration. Osseointegration itself is a biological phenomenon whereby a metal implant becomes permanently attached to the human skeleton. Importantly, part of the implant projects through the overlying skin and it is this part that provides the means for securing an external prosthesis to the body. Because the osseointegrated implant is permanently fixed to the bone, any prosthesis attached to the implant is also anchored to the bone (we call this direct skeletal fixation or DSF) making it easier to secure the prosthesis.

At the Royal Free Private Patients Unit, our world class plastic surgery team are experienced in inserting osseointegrated implants into the residual bone of both upper and lower limb amputees and patients who have sustained loss of their body parts from the head and neck area (e.g. the face). Most surgery is done in a one-stage, under general anaesthesia.

To find out more about what our surgeons may be able to offer you, please follow the links to the Relimb™ website

Nerve surgery

Nerve and Soft-tissue surgery

Although the emphasis of Relimb™ is to provide a bespoke, direct skeletal fixation (DSF) service for amputees, we are also able to provide patients with the entire range of surgical interventions needed by amputees. Not all amputees are suitable for, or wish to undergo, DSF surgery. Nevertheless, many amputees experience problems such as pain, poor socket-fitting due to changes in the shape and size of their stumps, skin ulcers, bony prominences, infections and many other issues which limit their ability to mobilise freely.

Nerve-related pain, such as neuroma and phantom limb pain, is another major source of pain for many amputees or multiply traumatised individuals. Relimb™ has extensive experience in the use of Targeted Muscle Reinnervation surgery to address both neuroma and phantom limb pain. Importantly, we are also able to utilise the entire spectrum of reconstructive plastic surgery procedures to deal with any soft-tissue problems which may be encountered by our patients in their quest to regain maximum quality of life.

To find out more about what our surgeons may be able to offer you, please follow the links to the Relimb™ website

Meet our consultants

We work with leading experts who are all supported by the expertise of a multidisciplinary team. Our specialist team of doctors and surgeons includes:

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Mr Norbert Kang

Consultant Plastic Surgeon

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Mr Alex Woollard

Consultant Plastic Surgeon

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George Fodder’s Journey Part 1

George shares his experience of using a conventional prosthesis before osseointegration surgery

George Fodder Journey Part 2

George shares his experience of living with a lot more independence again after undergoing osseointegration surgery

Miles’ Journey

Miles shares his experience of how Relimb, a specialist team at the Royal Free Hospital, helped with his bone-anchored implant revision surgery.

Heather’s Journey

After a tragic accident, Heather made a turning point decision to have her left leg amputated and replaced with an osseointegrated implant.

Book an appointment

For more information, a quotation or to book an appointment, please contact our dedicated enquiries team who are available Monday – Friday from 8am – 6pm on 020 7317 7751 or rf-tr.privateenquiries@nhs.net.