Dr. A. Shanmuga Sundaram
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
Such has been one of the many positive stories to emerge out of one of Chennai's topmost ortho clinics. A renowned specialist in the field of joint replacement at hip, knee and shoulder, Dr. Shanmuga sundaram has performed more than 500 Arthroscopic ACL reconstructions and over thousands of primary and revision surgeries in the hip, knee and shoulder. This explains how AOC has emerged into a treatment hotspot for Medical Tourism, which handles patients not only from several Indian states but also from more than 15 countries pre-dominantly Middle East and Africa.
Overarching Treatment
Incepted in 2012 with the vision of providing a comprehensive out-patient care under single roof, AOC has deployed all the advanced facilities such as Digital X-Ray, DEXA scan, blood collection, medical management, physiotherapy and pain management, pharmacy within the premise. It is one of the most modern clinics in India, which leverages cutting-edge technologies and equipment not only to treat the patients but also to maintain everything from patient records to prescription digitally, which is quite impressive for a 1800 sq/ft mid-level sub-speciality clinic. They also offer emergency x-ray and physiotherapy at patient home itself.
What singles out AOC as the go-to clinic for all the ortho problems is its well-balanced system that enables it to provide the best care to the entire population. Meaning: patients who need surgery will be operated at various hospitals depending on the patient's need, insurance facility and the comfort level they expect. A scan that would typically cost many thousands at a hospital set-up can be done at AOC for few thousands only. Records of cases where AOC has given the treatment completely free of cost (including all the basic necessities such as X-Ray), are found in abundance.
"A patient should not be deprived of one's treatment, just because they are unable to afford it. Fortunately, I have the liberty of treating any number of needy patients at a reasonable cost or even for free," avows Dr. Shanmuga sundaram , an illustrious personality who often gets invitations from top Tamil television channels like Sun TV and Vijay TV to spread his knowledge and wisdom. Recently, he gave a live two-hour long COVID-19 up-dates in Sun News.
Rising to the Occasion
Despite employing 80 percent of the doctors, many of the private hospitals and clinics in India have chosen to re-main shut or function partially due to the fear of handling the coronavirus. They don't have enough strength or mindset to take the necessary precautions and open their doors. Operating with the mission of serving humanity rather than making money, AOC shines brightly amidst them as one of the few fully-functioning clinics, owing to its unique e-Clinic ordeal that can't even be imitated by major hospitals in the cities. When the patients enter the clinic, they are offered a new mask and glove, the records brought by the patients are UV radiated and their belongings are sterilized, after they have gone through the routine cleansing protocols like handwash.
AOC further reduces the chance of infection by keeping the contact period between the patient and doctor as minimal as possible through its double consultation room concept, where the consultant connects with the patients via video conferencing. Apart from the patient examination which must be done in person, everything else is performed digitally, whether it's listening to the patient's symptoms or explaining them the treatment procedure post examination. Likewise, reports such as X-Ray and DEXA are sent to the system automatically in a digital format and e-Prescriptions are generated digitally.
"Instead of the 30-minute direct doctor-patient contact period we had before the pandemic, we now spend only five minutes with the patient in person. For the past four months, we have been catering to around 50 patients every day," asserts Dr. Shanmuga sundaram. He is also a Visiting Consultant in Chennai Meenakshi Multispecialty Hospital, Apollo Spectra Hospital, Fortis Malar and few other corporate hospitals in Chennai. Dr. Shanmuga sundaram is also a national faculty for DePuy, a global leader in joint replacement, and is a part of their research.
AOC's paper has been established in the international forum of Link Academy (a pioneer in the revision implants of knee and hip replacement) in Malaysia and the same surgery has been demonstrated by Dr. Shanmuga sundaram in the Indian Link Academy meet in Kanpur.
Wielding the Power of Technology
In most corporate hospitals, a patient goes through a long queue after getting prescribed for the X-Ray and again wait for a couple more hours to get the report; there-fore, the patient might not be able to see the same consultant in the same day. Interestingly, at AOC all these procedures can be completed within the average time-frame of five and a half minutes. The clinic endeavours to further minimize this timeframe and patient exposure due to the COVID pandemic. "Every patient is individually taken care of. Since everything is digitized, once the X-Ray is taken, it will automatically reach the consultant and will remain in our system for ten years," explains Dr. Shanmuga sundaram
A strong proponent of digitalization, he vests immense emphasis on preserving patient data by maintaining patient-friendly electronic records for as many years as possible. Any patient can access their data from anywhere anytime using their identification number or biometric ID. "Keeping track of one's medical history would help the doctors to diagnose the problem quickly and give a better treatment. In the unfortunate event of an accident, the ability to retrieve one's medical history from any-where anytime could be a lifesaver," adjoins Dr. Shanmuga sundaram. Furthermore, its e-Prescription contains both the trade name and the ingredients of the medications, which bestows the patients with the liberty to buy the medicine from even the government institution.
The Best Care
Unlike the olden days when a surgery could alter one's in-built posture forever, today we have access to highly-advanced technologies like computer-assisted navigation system and 3D printing that helps the surgeons to achieve maximum precision and ensure a 95 percent success rate in terms of restoring normalcy. These technologies enable a surgeon to not only plan every minute detail of the operation (say, how many millimetres of the bone one will be cutting) even before entering the operating theatre but also to perform extremely specific surgeries for a specific condition.
Complications do arise in high-risk patients who are prone to infections, have low immunity, suffer from health conditions like renal failure or diabetes and have weak bones that lack the capacity to hold the implants. Besides taking all the necessary precautions like pre- scribing antibiotics to such patients, AOC also educates them about all the common complications that may occur and the measures they should take to prevent these complications, before signing them up for the surgery. Rather than doing half measures and quick fixes, the clinic re-mains with its patients from the beginning of their treatment until the very end and beyond. This explains how the clinic has been able to maintain an extraordinary complication rate of less than one percent. As evidence look no further than the five-star google reviews and the 650+ stellar reviews the clinic has received at practo.com from its patients from various countries.
AOC has built its forte in conservative spinal cord management, wherein the clinic has been able to treat more than 90 percent of cases who have been previously prescribed surgery through a combination of medications and advanced physiotherapy. "There are specific indications for surgery in orthopaedic cases. A fracture involving articular area can be restored by conservative methods like Closed Reduction and Plaster of Paris with-out cutting the skin open. But in a few cases, surgery is must to put everything in place and hold them with the help of plate and screws in order to get the full anatomical structure back," explains Dr. Shanmuga sundaram. AOC specializes in cost-effective arthroscopic keyhole surgery, where the post-surgery pain and risk of infection is minimal and healing time is faster than the traditional open surgery.
Tremendous credit to such professionalism, AOC was awarded as one of the top 100 clinics in the world in the orthopaedic department by the European Business Academy in 2016 based on 196 criteria set by the international forum of business school. The clinic is also recognized as the best practicing medical clinic in the world by the European Medical Registry. "This is the standard we have been maintaining consistently for the past decade and we intend to further ramp it up," remarks Dr. Shanmuga sundaram. Judging by his passion to serve humanity, it is safe to say that the success of his vision will be much more than the success of just one clinic.
Dr. A. Shanmuga Sundaram, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
Dr. Shanmuga sundaram M.S(Ortho), received international certification of Mch(Ortho) and PhD(Sports Medicine) and training from various prestigious institutes in India and abroad in the field of Advanced Fracture Management, Primary & Revision Joint Replacement of Knee, Hip & Shoulder and Arthroscopy has endowed him with a competitive edge.
Having worked as a Professor of orthopaedic surgery and most his service at Madras Medical Collage, he spent 20 years of his career in Tamil Nadu govt. service and was involved in more than 50 Scientific Presentations. He possesses two international and 10 national and state level scientific paper presentations which won Prof. Vigneshwaralu Gold Medal in 2002 (TNOA) & Prof. Bhakshi Gold Medal in 2012 (IOACON).Dr. Shanmuga is a member of National & International Forum for Joint Replacement Surgeons as well as AAOS & IAS.& IOA
Location: Chennai
Services:
• Surgeries: Knee Replacement Surgery, Hip Replacement Surgery, Shoulder Replacement Surgery, Arthroscopic Keyhole Surgery Paediatric Ortho Problem and Fracture Surgeries
• General Treatments: Neck, Shoulder, Knee, Joint, Hip & Foot Pain, Osteoarthritis, Bone & Joint Problem, Radiation Pain and Arthritis, Calcaneal Spur, Bone Tumours, Polyarthralgia, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Gout and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Post Operational Rehabilitation:
• Pediatric Orthopedics
AOC in Spotlight:
• A treatment hotspot for Medical Tourism, which handles patients not only from several Indian states but also from more than 15 countries
• Has all the advanced facilities such as X-Ray, DEXA scan, blood collection, pharmacy, medical management, physiotherapy and pain management under single roof
• Awarded as one of the top 100 clinics in the world in the orthopaedic department by the European Business Academy in 2016 based on 196 criteria set by the international forum of business school
• Iso 9001; 2015 certified clinic
Wielding the Power of Technology
In most corporate hospitals, a patient goes through a long queue after getting prescribed for the X-Ray and again wait for a couple more hours to get the report; there-fore, the patient might not be able to see the same consultant in the same day. Interestingly, at AOC all these procedures can be completed within the average time-frame of five and a half minutes. The clinic endeavours to further minimize this timeframe and patient exposure due to the COVID pandemic. "Every patient is individually taken care of. Since everything is digitized, once the X-Ray is taken, it will automatically reach the consultant and will remain in our system for ten years," explains Dr. Shanmuga sundaram
A fracture involving articular area can be restored by conservative methods like closed reduction and plaster of paris without cutting the skin open. But in a few cases, surgery is must to put everything in place and hold them with the help of plate and screws in order to get the full anatomical structure back
A strong proponent of digitalization, he vests immense emphasis on preserving patient data by maintaining patient-friendly electronic records for as many years as possible. Any patient can access their data from anywhere anytime using their identification number or biometric ID. "Keeping track of one's medical history would help the doctors to diagnose the problem quickly and give a better treatment. In the unfortunate event of an accident, the ability to retrieve one's medical history from any-where anytime could be a lifesaver," adjoins Dr. Shanmuga sundaram. Furthermore, its e-Prescription contains both the trade name and the ingredients of the medications, which bestows the patients with the liberty to buy the medicine from even the government institution.
The Best Care
Unlike the olden days when a surgery could alter one's in-built posture forever, today we have access to highly-advanced technologies like computer-assisted navigation system and 3D printing that helps the surgeons to achieve maximum precision and ensure a 95 percent success rate in terms of restoring normalcy. These technologies enable a surgeon to not only plan every minute detail of the operation (say, how many millimetres of the bone one will be cutting) even before entering the operating theatre but also to perform extremely specific surgeries for a specific condition.
Complications do arise in high-risk patients who are prone to infections, have low immunity, suffer from health conditions like renal failure or diabetes and have weak bones that lack the capacity to hold the implants. Besides taking all the necessary precautions like pre- scribing antibiotics to such patients, AOC also educates them about all the common complications that may occur and the measures they should take to prevent these complications, before signing them up for the surgery. Rather than doing half measures and quick fixes, the clinic re-mains with its patients from the beginning of their treatment until the very end and beyond. This explains how the clinic has been able to maintain an extraordinary complication rate of less than one percent. As evidence look no further than the five-star google reviews and the 650+ stellar reviews the clinic has received at practo.com from its patients from various countries.
AOC has built its forte in conservative spinal cord management, wherein the clinic has been able to treat more than 90 percent of cases who have been previously prescribed surgery through a combination of medications and advanced physiotherapy. "There are specific indications for surgery in orthopaedic cases. A fracture involving articular area can be restored by conservative methods like Closed Reduction and Plaster of Paris with-out cutting the skin open. But in a few cases, surgery is must to put everything in place and hold them with the help of plate and screws in order to get the full anatomical structure back," explains Dr. Shanmuga sundaram. AOC specializes in cost-effective arthroscopic keyhole surgery, where the post-surgery pain and risk of infection is minimal and healing time is faster than the traditional open surgery.
Tremendous credit to such professionalism, AOC was awarded as one of the top 100 clinics in the world in the orthopaedic department by the European Business Academy in 2016 based on 196 criteria set by the international forum of business school. The clinic is also recognized as the best practicing medical clinic in the world by the European Medical Registry. "This is the standard we have been maintaining consistently for the past decade and we intend to further ramp it up," remarks Dr. Shanmuga sundaram. Judging by his passion to serve humanity, it is safe to say that the success of his vision will be much more than the success of just one clinic.
Dr. A. Shanmuga Sundaram, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
Dr. Shanmuga sundaram M.S(Ortho), received international certification of Mch(Ortho) and PhD(Sports Medicine) and training from various prestigious institutes in India and abroad in the field of Advanced Fracture Management, Primary & Revision Joint Replacement of Knee, Hip & Shoulder and Arthroscopy has endowed him with a competitive edge.
Having worked as a Professor of orthopaedic surgery and most his service at Madras Medical Collage, he spent 20 years of his career in Tamil Nadu govt. service and was involved in more than 50 Scientific Presentations. He possesses two international and 10 national and state level scientific paper presentations which won Prof. Vigneshwaralu Gold Medal in 2002 (TNOA) & Prof. Bhakshi Gold Medal in 2012 (IOACON).Dr. Shanmuga is a member of National & International Forum for Joint Replacement Surgeons as well as AAOS & IAS.& IOA
Location: Chennai
Services:
• Surgeries: Knee Replacement Surgery, Hip Replacement Surgery, Shoulder Replacement Surgery, Arthroscopic Keyhole Surgery Paediatric Ortho Problem and Fracture Surgeries
• General Treatments: Neck, Shoulder, Knee, Joint, Hip & Foot Pain, Osteoarthritis, Bone & Joint Problem, Radiation Pain and Arthritis, Calcaneal Spur, Bone Tumours, Polyarthralgia, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Gout and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Post Operational Rehabilitation:
• Pediatric Orthopedics
AOC in Spotlight:
• A treatment hotspot for Medical Tourism, which handles patients not only from several Indian states but also from more than 15 countries
• Has all the advanced facilities such as X-Ray, DEXA scan, blood collection, pharmacy, medical management, physiotherapy and pain management under single roof
• Awarded as one of the top 100 clinics in the world in the orthopaedic department by the European Business Academy in 2016 based on 196 criteria set by the international forum of business school
• Iso 9001; 2015 certified clinic
