Sincere gratitude is enough for me
Dr Wong Yat-wa
Deputy Hospital Chief Executive / Chief of Service / Consultant (Orthopaedics & Traumatology), Queen Mary Hospital
After three decades of operating on patients with scoliosis, spinal cord tumors, and other complex spinal conditions, Dr Wong Yat-wa has treated countless patients. “People come up to me and say ‘Dr Wong, I recovered from my surgery. Thank you for your care,’” he says. The orthopaedics and traumatology (O&T) specialist says the only wish of surgeons is patients' speedy recovery, and this is what motivates him to strive for continuous improvement. “Their sincere gratitude is enough for me,” he reflects.
Dr Wong sees every operation as a work of art that balances techniques, patient’s satisfaction, safety, innovation, and cost effectiveness. “We must take everything into consideration before the operation starts,” he says. “It is not reasonable to perform a major operation but ignore the patient’s condition or the possibility of a recurrence of the disease.”
Colleagues see Dr Wong as the big brother in their team. He insists the learning process never ends. “With some of the surgeries that I rarely perform or have not yet performed, it is hard to estimate the outcome,” he explains. “As a result, I have to refer to medical literature or seek help from other doctors.” His team cooperates with specialists in oncology, surgery, and radiology, and Dr Wong also seeks views on spinal surgery from overseas experts. He also encouraged his colleagues to conduct exchanges with hospitals in both developed and developing countries.
Old techniques and mindsets do not make for medical breakthroughs. “It is possible to have creativity and development in different aspects,” Dr Wong argues. “For example, the joint clinic of O&T and Family Medicine teams offers tele-consultation to create a win-win situation for both patients and clinicians. Patients can receive medical advices from O&T doctors at the family medicine specialist clinic with shorter waiting time. The experience can be extended to medicine and accident and emergency departments to reduce unnecessary referrals.”
On the other hand, some patients become deconditioned after admission, who would fall easily after being bedridden for long periods. Dr Wong hopes to encourage patient ambulation by introducing designated walking area with safety facilities near wards. “Wherever there is a patient need, there are infinite possibilities to develop our services further,” he says.