Over half a century of shared experience in hip and knee surgery and access to the world's leading technology in a dedicated unit.

The Practice
The whole is greater than the sum of the parts
Skeleton Hips

Art /ärt/ noun:

1. A skill at doing a specified thing, typically one acquired through practice.
2. The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically is a visual form.

Art

Sci•ence /ˈsīəns/ noun:

The intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.

Science

Craft /kraft/ noun:

1. An activity involving skill in making things by hand.
2. a skilled activity or profession.

Craft
Skeleton Knees

We recognise that the art of medicine is in combining science with our best skills and resources to create individual solutions for each of our patients unique problems.

Our team comprises dedicated surgeons, physiotherapists, nursing staff and theatres all with the common goal of achieving the best possible patient outcomes.

The Hip and Knee Surgeons are based at Life Kingsbury Hospital in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town.

We operate in state of the art laminar flow theatres designed to produce conditions for the best possible orthopaedic results. Only "clean" surgery is performed at the Kingsbury Hospital as compared to general all purpose theatres where potentially contaminating surgery may be performed.

The hospital has a full range of supportive and ancillary services including X-ray, ultrasound, CT and MRI scanning and pathology.

 

  • Information for international visitors

    Cape Town

     

    Cape Town, situated on the southern tip of the African continent, is one of the most scenic cities in the world. It enjoys a Mediterranean climate with dry summers and winter rain. It is geared to tourism with numerous world heritage and natural wonder sites with an easy distance of central Cape Town. Cape Town is referred to as the "Mother City of South Africa" because of its physical role in the early settlement and historical development of South Africa.

  • Why consider orthopaedic hip or knee surgery in Cape Town?

    Cape Town has long been a centre of medical excellence. This pre-dates the emergence of Prof. Christiaan Barnard after the world's first heart transplant. Numerous other world impacting medical advances have been developed here by top scientists.

    Orthopaedic hip and knee surgery in Cape Town is highly advanced. State of the art surgery equal to or even better than any other centre in the world is performed in world class facilities.

    The Kingsbury Hospital is a dedicated orthopaedic centre. Unlike many general hospitals, the special laminar flow theatres are used specifically for orthopaedic procedures. This means that only "clean" surgery is performed in these theatres. Abdominal and other potentially contaminated surgery is not performed in the hospital.

    With the favourable exchange rates compared to other major centres in the world, many patients travel to Cape Town to have surgery and sometimes to have a small holiday afterwards while they are recuperating or completing their rehab programmes. Some patients from Europe or the United States find that their entire trip including the rehabilitation holiday or safari afterwards may be less costly than the treatment alone in their home centres.

    Many thousands of international patients come to South Africa for treatment every year and the increase in numbers point to overall good satisfaction levels.

 

The Surgeons
Orthopaedic Hip and Knee Specialists
  • Dr Leith Stewart

    Dr Leith Stewart

    BSC, MBChB(Stell.), F.C.S.(SA)(Orth)
     
    ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON

    Dr Stewart specialises exclusively in arthroplasty, arthroscopic (keyhole) surgery and rehabilitation of hips and knees. This ranges from the treatment of sports injuries to the management of osteoarthritis.

    In addition to primary treatment, Dr Stewart specialises in the management of complex orthopaedic deformities of the hip and knee joints as well as the treatment of failed or infected existing replacements (revision surgery).

    Dr Stewart has a special interest in hip resurfacing which is a bone conserving alternative to a total hip replacement. His patients will benefit from the latest international orthopaedic advances and techniques.

    Leith is a B.I.F (born in the fifities) and is married with 3 children, educated in Scotland and at Michaelhouse. He obtained a BSc in Chemistry and Applied Mathematics at Natal University then went on to complete his MBChB at Stellenbosch. He specialised in Orthopaedic Surgery at UCT graduating in 1993. He then studied in Exeter for a year under Dr Graham Gie doing hip and knee surgery and then stayed on there as a consultant for another year.

    He has been in full time private practice at Kingsbury Hospital for 17 years. Dr Stewart has lectured in the UK, Europe and India on knee and hip surgery.

    Leith has always been a keen sportsman, representing South Africa in hockey and Natal in athletics. He cycles and plays old man's hockey.

  • Dr Clive White

    Dr Clive White

    MBChB(UOFS), MRCS(London), FC(Orth)SA, MMed(Orth)(UCT)
    ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON

    Dr Clive White is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon with a special interest in hip and knee replacement and arthroscopic (keyhole) hip and knee surgery.

    He is currently a sessional consultant in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Cape Town as well as in private practice at Kingsbury Hospital.

    Dr White is actively involved in researching hip resurfacing. He has published and presented at meetings locally and abroad on various aspects of orthopaedic surgery and regularly attends educational courses to deepen his knowledge.

    Since graduating with his MBChB at the University of the Free State he worked in the Orthopaedic department of Grey's Hospital and then went to the United Kingdom to work in Exeter, a world recognized centre of excellence in hip surgery. During this time he completed his Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and developed a keen interest in hip and knee surgery. He returned to the University of Cape Town and obtained both his FC(Orth)SA and his MMed in Orthopaedic Surgery.

    After qualifying as an orthopaedic surgeon Clive did a Fellowship in Knee Arthroplasty and Reconstruction in the UCT Orthopaedic Department, followed by a second post-graduate fellowship in hip and knee replacement and arthroscopic surgery under the guidance of Dr. Leith Stewart.

    Clive is married with three children and his interests include mountain biking and family time. He is passionate about achieving the best results possible through individual solutions for all patients.

  • Dr John May

    Dr John May

    MBChB, FRCS(Edin.)
     
    ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON, KNEE SPECIALIST

    Dr May has been at the forefront of developments in knee surgery in Cape Town and South Africa. He is a member of the International Society of Knee and Arthroscopic Surgery.

    He has a special interest in knee surgery and sports injuries.

    He offers a full range of arthroscopic knee surgery, including treatment of meniscal (cartilage) tears, knee ligament reconstructions and repair of joint surface damage, using stem cell techniques.

    He is involved in new techniques for knee replacement surgery.

    Over the past years he has been involved in the development of a new protocol where computer planned models of the knee are made prior to surgery.

    This allows markedly reduced operative time for the knee replacement surgery and using minimally invasive techniques, a more rapid and less painful recovery is made than using conventional or computer navigated techniques.

    Dr. May remains a keen sportsman.

    He still regularly competes in the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon and the Argus Cycle Tour.

    He enjoys playing hockey and recently captained the SA Grand Masters team to the Grand Masters World Cup in Oxford in 2012.

The Procedures
Preserve - Repair - Reconstruct - Resurface - Replace
  • Hip Arthroscopy

    Hip Arthroscopy

    A variety of hip conditions affect countless people under the age of fifty. Traditionally, many of these conditions have gone untreated simply because a practical treatment option was not available. Thanks to arthroscopic hip surgery, this is no longer the case. In fact, minimally invasive hip procedures may give patients the pain relief they need with smaller scars and less postoperative pain than open surgeries. This means patients can enjoy a quicker return to the physical activities and lifestyle they enjoy.

    Read our patient information

  • Hip Resurfacing

    Hip Resurfacing

    A hip resurfacing arthroplasty or replacement is essentially a spherical metal cap inserted on the existing shaved "head" of the bone. It is a prosthetic cover on a preserved bone neck and head. On the cup side, the linerless polished metallic socket is placed in the natural bone cavity after shaving away the worn cartilage. Hip resurfacing arthroplasty is particularly well-suited for younger, very active patients since it allows a natural range of motion while permitting full loading and more vigorous activities. Furthermore, it preserves the femoral neck bone stock and facilitates any subsequent conversion to a standard hip replacement.

    Read our patient information

  • Total Hip Replacement

    Total Hip Replacement

    If the non-surgical treatments no longer relieve pain and inflammation in your hip, you and your surgeon may consider total hip replacement. If you both decide that this is the best way to restore your ability to carry on your normal activities of daily life, the following information will be helpful for you to know. The purpose of hip replacement surgery is to remove the two damaged and worn parts of the hip joint – the hip socket, acetabulum, and the ball, femoral head – and replace them with smooth, artificial implants called prostheses, which will help make the hip strong, stable and flexible again.

    Read our patient information

The Hip and Knee Surgeons icon
  • Knee Arthroscopy

    Knee Arthroscopy

    Being physically active brings energy, enthusiasm, and balance to your life. Arthroscopic, or minimally invasive, knee surgery can help get you moving again. Using advanced medical technology, your surgeon may be able to assess what's causing your pain and, through arthroscopic surgery, may be able to repair your injury. Compared to traditional knee surgery, arthroscopic surgery results in smaller scars, less postoperative pain, and a faster return to the physical activities you love.

    Read our patient information

  • Meniscus Tear

    Meniscus Tear

    If you have had knee pain recently, or periodically for months or years, it's possible that you have a meniscus tear, also referred to as "torn cartilage." A meniscus tear often occurs during a twisting or pivoting motion with the foot planted on the ground – for example, when playing tennis or squatting in the garden – and it can also occur from lifting. A tear can occur at any time during life, but it is rarely seen in young children.

    Read our patient information

  • ACL Reconstruction

    ACL Reconstruction

    Often with knee injuries, the ACL becomes damaged or torn. In fact, this is quite common. Each year, about 300,000 people worldwide undergo surgery to repair a damaged ACL. The injury is common among athletes, and it can also occur in the workplace in jobs that require physical exertion. Women are more susceptible to such injuries than are men. Studies have shown that the reason for this may be that in sports, women tend to hold their trunks and hips in a more erect posture while performing running and jumping maneuvers. In an ACL deficient knee the menisci become worn and may tear more easily.

    Read our patient information

  • Total Knee Replacement

    Total Knee Replacement

    If you and your surgeon have exhausted all non-surgical measures for treating your knee pain and inflammation, you might be a candidate for total knee replacement. This procedure is often the only option for restoring an active, pain-free life. If your surgeon does decide that this is the best option for you, the following information will give you an understanding of what to expect.

    Read our patient information

The Library
The News
  • News icon

  • Failed metal hips widely reported in the press

    Many patients contact us after reading newspaper reports of failed metal hips, particularly the ASR from DePuy, worried that they might be affected by the debacle.

    We would like to reassure our patients that this practice has never implanted one of these devices with the high risk of failure. All resurfacings and large head metal hip replacements done in our practice are Birmingham Hip Resurfacings, whether as the original resurfacing product, the BMHR (since 2009), or on a stem as a total hip replacement.

    The BHR continues to produce excellent clinical outcomes and despite the massive press backlash against hip resurfacing due to the failure of other devices is still being implanted successfully around the world. The results of the BHR for the correct indications still outperform other devices on the registries.

    This being said there are rare instances of every type of hip replacement (metal, ceramic, cemented or uncemented) on the market failing and any patients with persistent or new pain or instability are still advised to contact their orthopaedic surgeon with any concerns.

    Please see our patient information section in the library above, particularly the Advice for patients with metal hips PDF, the MHRA guidelines Feb 2012 PDF and the Patient information on bearing surfaces in hips PDF to find out more.

  • Excellent results of Birmingham Hip Resurfacing in the Australian Hip Registry 2011

    This registry, widely acknowledged as one of the best in the world and the first to pick up the warning signs when the ASR started failing, recently reported excellent outcomes of the BHR. The Australian Registry BHR Results PDF from the manufacturers summarises those results.

    Download PDF

  • Dr Stewart and Dr White to report on a South African Hip Resurfacing Registry

    Since October 2009 we have been entering all of our patients who have a Birmingham Mid Head Resection (BMHR) hip resurfacing into a registry to analyse our results. There are over 125 patients enrolled so far.

    We will be presenting the results of our own series as well as combined results from six other South African surgeons participating in the registry at the South African Arthroplasty Society Congress early in 2013.

  • Patient specific knee replacement cutting block technology

    We have been using this technology in our practice for over 2 years now. Dr May uses a CT guided Prophecy system and this year Dr Stewart and Dr White have being using the MRI guided Visionaire system.

    Patients have specific Xrays and scans done at our hospital which are then sent to the USA where they are processed. Patient specific blocks are then produced according to a detailed surgical plan for each individual patient and shipped back before the day of surgery.

    This technique is proving excellent at improving the accuracy of total knee replacement as well as decreasing operative time and the surgical insult of knee replacement surgery by allowing a less invasive approach.

    This technology is available to all of our patients although there is a lead time of 6 weeks for block manufacturing and an extra cost of around R2200 associated.

  • Dr Stewart becomes the first surgeon in South Africa authorised to implant the Ceramic on Metal BMHR Hip Resurfacing

    The Birmingham unit have been developing a ceramic head for use on their metal resurfacing cup liner over the last few years and it has shown excellent early clinical results in their hands.

    It is indicated for use to allow hip resurfacing in smaller patients, females and patients with any detectable metal allergies.

    It has been released for use by only four surgeons worldwide in a controlled clinical trial. Dr Stewart is recognised internationally as vastly experienced in Hip Resurfacing and as such has been involved in the early stages of research into the use of this exciting new technology.

Contact Us

  • Room 604, Kingsbury Suites, Wilderness Road, Claremont, Cape Town, 7708. View larger map

    Directions

     

    From Main Road Claremont turn down Wilderness Road at the traffic lights opposite the BP garage, heading toward Kingsbury Hospital. Then take the first right into Wilderness lane. Enter the boom gate at the end of this road – there is ample undercover parking. Use the Kingsbury Suites entrance and take the lift to the 6th floor.

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