Sustainable surgery: how can it be implemented?

By Mr Preetham Kodumuri
Orthopaedic surgery

Mr Preetham Kodumuri is an experienced consultant orthopaedic surgeon practising in Wrexham. He specialises in the hand and wrist areas with such conditions as carpal tunnel syndrome and Dupuytren's contracture. He also specialises in wrist arthroscopy, tendon reconstruction and repair surgery, small joint arthroplasty, and Wide Awake Hand Surgery procedures.

In 2004, Mr Kodumuri received his basic medical qualification from Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences in India, which he subsequently relocated to the UK and undertook his basic medical training in the East Midlands. In 2018, he received his Certificate of Completion of Training in Nottingham and Derby, then Mr Kodumuri went on to receive the rare achievement of being awarded both the British and European Hand Surgery Diplomas in 2019. Mr Kodumuri was also awarded international travelling fellowships to internationally-recognised hand units at the Mayo Clinic, Christine Kleinert Hand Institute, and Ganga Hospitals in India, where he broadened his expertise in the field.

Mr Kodumuri has a passion for sustainability and working to have a more green-friendly healthcare. In 2021, he was a participant included in one of five teams who competed in the Green Surgery Challenge supported by The Royal College of Surgeons and the Centre for Sunstainable Healthcare. He and one other surgeon were nationally recognised for their innovative, sustainable healthcare projects. Mr Kodumuri is developing pathways to and surgical practices with an aim to reduce the carbon footprint within the NHS and medical practice.

"We are hugely excited about this success as this will make a big difference to the way we treat our patients in hand surgery across North Wales," Mr Kodumuri commented on the challenge.

In addition, Mr Kodumuri maintains an interest in research in hand and wrist orthopaedics, and has had multiple papers published in peer-reviewed journals, as well as the Journal of Hand Surgery, European Volume. During his extra time outside of clinical practice, research, and finding green options for healthcare, Mr Kodumuri is also a clinical tutor for the British Diploma in Hand Surgery and is a faculty member for the Fellowship of Royal College of Surgeons revision course, helping train and prepare future orthopaedic surgeons.