Dr Giovanni De Rosa

Dr Giovanni De Rosa, one of the two physicians responsible for managing the Department for Trauma Surgery and Orthopaedics at Sana Hospital Düsseldorf Gerresheim, has demonstrated, thanks to certification by the German Knee Society, that he has significant experience in endoprosthetics, sport orthopaedics and traumatology, as well as in non-surgical and surgical treatment of knee joint conditions and injuries. He has carried out well over 500 complex operations.

As an experienced knee surgeon, Dr De Rosa’s areas of expertise include the implantation of endoprostheses, complex surgical intervention in the meniscus, such as meniscus transplants, surgery on the supporting structures of the patella, replacements of the front and rear cruciate ligament, the straightening of leg axes (osteotomies) in the knee joint and cartilage surgery. Wherever possible, he uses minimally invasive surgical techniques in the treatment process as this places less stress on patients, enabling them to regain their mobility more quickly.

Thanks to his further training in manual medicine/chirotherapy, Dr De Rosa is also skilled at diagnosing movement disruptions in the joints using manipulation techniques, as well as releasing blockages and restoring mobility in this way, which also helps to ensure mobility on a longer-term basis.

Knee cartilage transplant: Expert in new procedures

Dr Giovanni De Rosa continuously carries out further training to ensure that his patients receive the best possible treatment. For example, when it comes to joint cartilage damage, he uses a new form of cartilage transplantation, AutoCart™. Joint cartilage does not have a blood supply and therefore cannot heal on its own. Therefore, in cases of more significant cartilage damage, caused by an accident, for example, further wear and tear occurs and this can ultimately lead to significant joint pain due to the arthrosis caused by this. With AutoCart™ treatment, the doctor carries out just one surgical procedure on the patient to extract cartilage from one place in the body (generally from the same knee). This cartilage is then cut into tiny pieces using cartilage chip technology, mixed with the patient’s own blood and transplanted at the damaged sites. “This procedure, which uses the body’s own tissue, is tolerated particularly well,” comments Dr De Rosa on his experiences of using this technique. The procedure is carried out arthroscopically, i.e. in a minimally invasive manner, so that patients only have to stay in hospital for 1-2 days.

Endoprosthetics as a core skill

Endoprosthetics relating to the knees and hips and replacement operations are some of Dr Giovanni De Rosa’s most important skills. During his time as a specialist consultant, spanning more than 10 years, he has already successfully carried out numerous implantations using state-of-the-art methods.
A replacement of the knee, hip or even shoulder joint can be necessary due to degenerative joint diseases, such as arthrosis or also on a post-traumatic basis after an accident. Special software is used to measure the individually required prostheses, meaning that the artificial joint can be implanted successfully in a manner which is adapted to the patient’s individual anatomy. Special X-ray imaging processes form the basis of this.

In accordance with current and modern orthopaedic treatment standards relating to the implantation of an artificial joint in the knee or hip, Dr De Rosa generally does not use wound drainage. Large-scale studies have demonstrated that significantly less blood loss was observed when no drainage was used in planned endoprosthetic procedures. Furthermore, the study results show that this measure generally made a blood transfusion unnecessary and that the patients who received treatment not only experienced less pain but were also able to mobilise out of bed much more quickly after the operation had been carried out.

Dr De Rosa uses a minimally invasive technique to carry out endoprosthetic procedures on the hip joint on a specially designed surgical table (Condor RotexTable) using front access. In this technique, a natural gap in the muscle is used to access the hip joint. One benefit of this method is that the muscles are protected and patients regain their mobility rapidly after the operation.

Modern treatment of fractures and acute injuries to the musculoskeletal system

Whilst knee surgery is Dr De Rosa’s field of expertise, he is more than capable in other specialist fields of medicine too. He is a consultant in special trauma surgery, meaning that he is trained in the treatment of more serious acute injuries and the consequences thereof. He organises, oversees and carries out treatment on seriously injured patients. He is also an ATLS® provider so he is trained in providing standardised and priority-oriented shock room management for trauma patients. The hospital is also part of the Düsseldorf trauma network.

Sharing knowledge with others

Dr Giovanni De Rosa enjoys passing on the extensive knowledge he has acquired over the course of his career to date. He has authorisation from the medical association for further training in basic surgery, orthopaedics and trauma surgery and is also permitted to train other medics in special trauma surgery.