A HOSPITAL consultant at Furness General Hospital specialising in shoulder and elbow surgery is revolutionising care for his patients.

Mr Gautam Talawadekar has introduced reverse full shoulder replacement surgery, instead of the traditional half shoulder replacement, for people with shoulder arthritis and deficient muscle power. This type of surgery gives patients much greater mobility and less pain.

Patients who have undergone these replacements for degenerative conditions such as arthritis and traumatic injuries from accidents, have thanked Mr Talawadekar for giving them their freedom of movement back and improving their quality of life.

Mr Talawadekar, who is an expert at complex shoulder joint surgery, said: “I am very proud of what I have achieved here in a short time. It has been a very busy time and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I have always tried to do my best for my patients and treat them as I would expect my family to be treated.”

Before Mr Talawadekar started working for the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Trust, many of the most complex cases requiring shoulder and elbow surgery would have to be referred to Wigan or Preston hospitals.

Mr Talawadekar said: “A lady from Barrow in her 60s came into FGH with a fracture of the humerus.

“The bone was so badly broken that the blood supply to her arm was cut off. There was a risk that she could have lost her arm had there been a delay in treating her and it was recommended by the referral hospital at Preston that I take her to theatre on an emergency basis.

“A complex operation was undertaken where I had to explore the fracture and perform a shoulder replacement. It is much better for patients not to have to travel long distances for treatment.”

Mr Talawadekar specialises in several other types of surgeries including arthroplasty (joint replacement), arthroscopy (minimally invasive surgery also called ‘keyhole’ surgery) for pathologies affecting the entire upper limb.