Leading knee surgeon volunteers in East Africa | News

A leading knee surgeon is volunteering in Tanzania, giving specialist surgical training to doctors and helping benefit the region’s patients.

Mr Nicholas Bowman is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) and specialises in knee surgery including joint replacements, cruciate ligament reconstructions and keyhole procedures. 

In 2023, Mr Bowman spent two weeks volunteering at Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, treating children and adults with bone and joint problems.

Three years on, the connection between continents remains, and this week Mr Bowman returned to the Institute to teach on a knee arthroscopy course attended by 50 doctors from Uganda, Ghana, South Sudan, Tanzania, Mali and Kenya.

The course is helping doctors in the region learn specialist surgical skills which will improve the lives of patients who need treatment for knee problems.

A volunteer team of senior doctors from the UK have used their annual leave to visit the country and train colleagues from the region in knee arthroscopy - keyhole surgery that lets doctors look inside the knee joint and fix problems, with minimal damage to surrounding tissues. This approach can mean less pain for the patient and a faster recovery.

Mr Bowman has been a consultant orthopaedic surgeon since 2013 and specialises solely in his knee surgery. He is leading a pioneering reconstructive knee surgery trial at Tunbridge Wells Hospital, using the hamstring tendon from a parent to repair torn anterior cruciate ligaments in children.

Speaking after the course, he said:

“Our hope from the start was to foster long-term links with the Institute and we were delighted to welcome doctors from the Institute to the UK last year to help develop their skills.

We’re very pleased to have returned to Tanzania this year to teach such a large group of talented surgeons from the region.
 
“As MTW is a teaching trust we are all involved in education and are used to sharing our knowledge and helping colleagues develop their skills. This course was an important opportunity to pass on our expertise as orthopaedic surgeons and to help make a difference to the lives of people in east Africa.”