A pioneering orthopaedic surgeon who has dedicated his career to advancing prosthetic care around the world has a new mission to support amputee patients in the UAE.
Prof Munjed Al Muderis, a renowned expert with decades of experience in the field, spoke of his vision to ensure limb loss never “defines a person's future” after launching a cutting-edge clinic at Burjeel Medical City in Abu Dhabi.
The Al Muderis Osseointegration Clinic – which opened last week in collaboration with the Paley Middle East Clinic – offers groundbreaking surgical techniques which aim to reduce recovery times and boost the mobility of patients adapting to a new way of life.
The centre offers surgery, rehabilitation, training and long-term follow-up care.
“Mobility is life,” said Prof Al Muderis. “Our mission is to ensure that limb loss never defines or limits a person’s future.”
Prof Al Muderis is a former refugee who fled Iraq in 1999 after refusing orders to perform amputations on army deserters under the regime of Saddam Hussein.
He rebuilt his life in Australia and has gone on to become a global leader in limb reconstruction.
He has treated more than 1,200 patients around the world – including soldiers from Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries wounded in war.
New lease of life
Most amputees wear prosthetics that attach using a socket that fits over the residual limb.
These systems can cause skin breakdown, sores, sweating and instability.
Osseointegration involves surgically inserting a titanium rod into the bone of the amputated limb.
The rod extends through the skin and connects directly to the external prosthetic limb. Because the prosthesis is anchored to the skeleton, it moves naturally with the body, improving balance, comfort and control.
When paired with robotic or muscle-controlled components, the prosthetic limb can respond to signals from the body, offering precise, intuitive motion.
Recovery after surgery typically takes months, but Prof Al Muderis has developed a single-stage procedure that dramatically shortens healing time.
In some cases, patients begin walking immediately after surgery, with a full recovery period as short as a week.
“I’ve operated on Ukrainian soldiers this year, and I’m going again this month,” he said. “I’ve treated soldiers from many countries. They’re young people who deserve to live full lives after injury.”
His work has also helped civilians and children. The new clinic in Abu Dhabi will offer access to patients across the region, many of whom previously had to travel abroad for this kind of care.
Osseointegration is expensive. In countries without insurance coverage, the procedure can cost between $80,000 and $100,000.
However, studies show it can be more cost-effective over time. Traditional socket prosthetics need frequent replacement and adjustments, whereas the osseointegrated implant is long-lasting and more stable.
Pledging support
Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, founder and chairman of Burjeel Holdings, announced he would fund 10 osseointegration operations and pledged Dh4 million in support of the clinic's work.
“In the Year of the Community, it is our responsibility to support those who need advanced care and help bring them back to normal life,” Dr Vayalil said. “When it begins with a touch of generosity, we’ve already succeeded.”
He was inspired by the story of Sham and Omar, two young Syrian siblings who lost limbs in a devastating earthquake and were brought to the UAE for treatment. Their strength, he said, is what led him to act.
Life-changing surgery
Glenn Bedwell is one of the many patients whose lives have been transformed by the procedure.
He was 35 when a celebration turned into catastrophe that changed the course of his life.
In 1991, after attending a party with family at a friend's house, he began packing their belongings into the boot of his wife’s car.
As he stood at the back of the vehicle, a drink-driver lost control and crashed into him, crushing Mr Bedwell between the two cars and severing his right leg on the spot.
“There was no time to move or brace,” he told The National. “One moment I was loading the trunk, and the next, my life had changed forever.”
For more than 20 years, Mr Bedwell wore a socket-based prosthesis.
It allowed him to return to work, raise his children, and continue living. But eventually, his skin began to react to the silicone liners used in the socket system. By 2012, he could no longer wear it without pain.
“My body just rejected it,” he said. “The heat, the pressure points, the constant chafing. In the tropics, you sweat all the time. It just got to the point where I couldn’t wear it any more.”
Even sitting down became a hazard. “I remember breaking toilet seats because of the shape and weight of the socket prosthesis,” he said. “If you sat down too quickly, it would just snap.”
That was when he heard about the work being carried out by Prof Al Muderis, and, within three months of meeting him, he underwent surgery.
“The difference was instant,” he said. “There was nothing touching my skin any more. Suddenly, I had my life back.
“It’s like going from a loose, heavy boot to something that feels like your actual leg.
“There’s no slipping, no pressure points and you even get a sense of the ground underneath you.”
Today, the father of two and grandfather of four walks without pain. He swims, rides a bicycle and no longer needs crutches.
“I have a water leg I use in the shower. I can jump into a swimming pool and climb the ladder to get out like anyone else,” he said. “I don’t worry about slipping any more.”
He now travels with Prof Al Muderis to speak to other amputees considering the surgery.
“I’m not a doctor. I don’t get paid for this,” he said. “But if my story helps someone else make the decision, it’s worth it.”
