SMMC’s first recipient of a reverse shoulder replacement, Frank Boekhout and orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Ron Onstenk.
CAY HILL--St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) has successfully performed its first reverse shoulder replacement surgery on Frank Boekhout, a patient suffering from severe shoulder pain.
The 90-minute surgery was performed by Dr. Ron Onstenk and the Orthopedics and Operating Room teams.
This was shared in a press release issued by the hospital on Tuesday.
Dr. Onstenk is part of a team of eight rotating orthopaedic surgeons from Groene Hart Hospital in Gouda, the Netherlands, who have worked at SMMC since the opening of the Orthopedics Clinic in 2020. The clinic has allowed SMMC to expand orthopaedic services offered to patients, including total hip and total knee replacements.
Each surgeon has his own subspecialty (hip, knee, spine, and upper extremity), which has enabled SMMC to offer a wider range of services to patients. The clinic has also upgraded its operating facilities, adding two new class one operating theatres and upgrading existing ones. This expansion has allowed SMMC to perform total hip and total knee replacements, enabling patients to recover close to home and avoid the need to travel abroad for extended periods.
One of the main goals of shoulder replacement surgery is to reduce or eliminate pain and restore full function of the shoulder. In a standard procedure, a metal ball is attached to the upper part of the humerus, while a plastic socket is attached to the shoulder blade, following the patient’s real anatomy. However, in a reverse shoulder replacement, the metal ball is placed on the socket side of the joint and the socket is placed on the arm side, supported by a metal stem in the humerus. This type of surgery tends to work better for patients with rotator cuff injuries. While most patients receive standard total shoulder replacements, reverse total shoulder replacements offer a viable alternative for those with specific injuries, said the release.
Dr. Onstenk said, “We see a large number of patients with shoulder problems such as tendinitis and osteoarthritis at our clinic on St. Maarten. For patients with osteoarthritis or severe fractures and breaks, shoulder replacement is a viable option if physical therapy and painkillers are no longer suitable for managing the pain.”
“This type of surgery has gained popularity due to its excellent results after many years of development and innovations such as the ‘reverse’ shoulder replacement that we recently performed. I am happy to be a part of SMMC’s ambition to continuously expand the medical care offered to patients on St. Maarten and surrounding islands,” he continued.
SMMC congratulated the Orthopedics team, the Operating Room team, and all other teams involved in the successful surgery. Boekhout was pleased with the results of his surgery and the care he received at SMMC, according to the release. He will undergo physical therapy for three months and is expected to regain full function of his shoulder.
