The Home of Knee Surgery
Mr. Sam Rajaratnam FRCS (Tr. & Orth.) is an internationally renowned Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon specialising in knee surgery and sporting injuries.
He is the Consultant Orthopaedic Knee Surgeon with his outpatient clinics at the Cleveland Clinic Portland Place outpatient centre in Marylebone and at 33 Grosvenor Place, Belgravia (The main Cleveland Clinic hospital site). His operating theatre is at the Cleveland Clinic hospital site.
He also practices at the Horder Centre in Crowborough, East Sussex, a centre of excellence for Orthopaedic Care in southern England.
Sam has personally performed over 5200 knee replacements (approximately 600 Joint Replacements each year) with excellent outcomes and is an expert on rapid recovery after knee surgery.
“Very experienced and knowledgeable- I am diabetic and he has helped me contact a top endocrinologist who made sure blood sugars were right for the replacement knee operation. He performed a brilliant knee op and the care from all the team was amazing.”
Patient – April 2023
He also has one of the Lowest Revision (failure) rates and best PROMS after knee surgery on the U.K. National Joint Registry and is a huge advocate for transparent outcome measure-driven healthcare.
He has developed an expert multidisciplinary team to deliver excellent care and the latest pain-relieving techniques after Joint Replacement Surgery.
He regularly treats members of the Professional Football Association and is on the faculty of the FIFA Football Medicine Conference each year.
Sam regularly treats numerous Professional and Amateur sportspeople with soft tissue injuries to their knee and performs over 150 ACL reconstructions and many other soft tissue procedures each year, mainly as day case procedures.
He is an expert on the ROSA® Robotic Assisted knee replacement. He has developed the technique of “the personalised knee” with a combination of Robotic accuracy and modular implants that allow bespoke soft tissue balancing during Knee Replacement/Resurfacing surgery.
He is interested in Stem Cells and Biological solutions for treating appropriate cartilage defects in the knee.
FAQs about The Chelsea Knee Clinic
What can I expect from an initial consultation?
At the initial consultation we will chat about your symptoms, how they affect you and any medication you are taking. We will also look at any previous x-ray and MRI evidence. I will then carefully examine your knee. If further diagnostic imaging investigations are required these can be arranged as appropriate and sometimes be done on the same day. Once all the diagnostic tests are complete, we will discuss the diagnosis and the treatment options, and agree on a treatment plan.
What are your specialist areas of knee surgery?
I specialise solely in knee surgery and am known for joint replacement surgery as well as soft tissue knee reconstruction. I perform both partial and full surface replacements with leading numbers and outcomes on the National Joint Registry. I am passionate about the latest rapid recovery techniques following knee surgery with leading techniques to reduce post operative pain after knee procedures, which allow for a faster and smoother recovery. I am also interested in the new advances in stem cell technology and biological solutions for treating cartilage defects in the knee, but am careful about making sure that the right techniques are used for the appropriate treatable condition.
Where are you based?
My London practice is based in the Harley Street Medical Area of London. My operating theatre is at The London Bridge Hospital HCA which is overlooking the River Thames and the City of London. I also have a practice in East Sussex at The Horder Centre, Crowborough, and The McIndoe Centre in East Grinstead, treating Private and NHS patients.
Do you work with athletes who need to recover very quickly?
I treat both professional and amateur athletes who have soft tissue knee injuries, and am one of the chosen surgeons for the Professional Football Association. I treat a number of different types of soft tissue injuries which are commonly experienced by athletes, for example I perform over 100 anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions every year as day case procedures. The vast majority of patients do not need surgery, and I am able to treat them in conjunction with colleagues who are expert physiotherapists and sports medicine consultants. If surgery is required, we try to achieve rapid recovery after surgical procedures.
What are your credentials as a knee surgeon?
I trained at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London and qualified with a first-class degree in anatomy and an MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine – Bachelor of Surgery) degree in 1997. I undertook further training at centres of excellence, both in the UK and Australia, via the Royal College of Surgeons. In 2006 I was awarded the Walter Mercer Gold Medal for the best performance throughout Great Britain and Ireland in the final FRCS (Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons) orthopaedics examination. I was appointed British Orthopaedic Association Ambassador to Hong Kong in 2007 and worked in Australia in some of the best knee surgery units in the world. In 2008 I became a Consultant Surgeon in the UK and am an advisor to NHS England via the National Orthopaedic Alliance. I now perform amongst the highest number of knee replacement operations each year on the UK National Joint Registry with one of the lowest revision rates (meaning very high success rates) and am happy to share my surgical outcome data with my patients.
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Yes, I undertake various cartilage procedures such as meniscus tear repairs, removal of loose bodies in the knee and chondroplasty which stabilises and treats chondral lesions. These procedures are carried out using minimally invasive surgery called arthroscopy. Occasionally discrete cartilage surface defects require the latest biological techniques, and I am happy to treat each condition with the appropriate technique.
Can I be referred to you by my GP on the NHS?
You are allowed to ask your GP to refer you for specialist treatment on the NHS, but a referral is not automatic. You have the right to ask your GP for a NHS e-Referral appointment with me (NHS e-Referral replaced the Choose and Book system) as an NHS patient at the Horder Centre, Crowborough, or the McIndoe Hospital, East Grinstead (but not my practice at HCA, London). The referral often then comes with the funding required for me to treat you as an NHS patient. Even if you decide to see me privately, which you can do without a referral, it is still worthwhile getting a letter from your GP because he/she will be able to provide information about your medical history and details that I should be aware of. Nevertheless, this is not essential.