Ask a top orthopaedic surgeon: what’s it like to work at the Olympics?

Written by: Mr Ziali Sivardeen
Published: | Updated: 01/07/2020
Edited by: Laura Burgess

One of our leading orthopaedic surgeons Mr Ziali Sivardeen works very closely with many athletes, including those linked with Premier League football clubs. In 2012, Mr Sivardeen was the specialist on standby to operate on all shoulder and elbow injuries during the Olympics and Paralympics in London. Here, he shares a little of what he experienced during this time and explains whether treatment for sports injuries differs between amateur and professional athletes or not.

Cyclists waiting at the starting line at a race at the Olympics


 

What was your role at the London Olympics and Paralympics?

I was the surgeon selected to operate on all shoulder and elbow injuries that required surgery during the Olympics and Paralympics in London 2012. I was also on call for any injuries and to give advice on the phone, or see the athletes in person. Most injuries did not require surgery.

It was a wonderful experience, however, wandering around the Athletes Village, and in the state-of-the-art clinic where athletes were assessed.
 

Which events turned out to be (surprisingly) the most dangerous? 

I am sorry because I can’t remember although some of the injuries seemed to be in the sports that you would expect, such as football, show-jumping and weightlifting.
 

What were your aims given the extreme time pressure between events?

It was organised so that there were medics at all events therefore I was not involved in all of the events, but I was called in if surgery was suspected to be required.
 

Who were some of the most high-profile athletes you treated? 

I don’t think I can say but they were from a variety of countries and a variety of sports.
 

What difference did having a specialist sports injuries clinic make to the athletes’ recovery? 

I think my experience in this area helped optimise the care I provided. It helped me give holistic and multidisciplinary care, rather than a narrow surgical view. However, because the athletes were only there for a short time, any treatment would have had to continue in their own countries.
 

For patients that are in your longer-term care, what might a holistic treatment plan look like?

This involves a multidisciplinary approach with different specialists being involved in the care, addressing different aspects of a patient’s overall wellbeing. So this could involve a dietician, a psychiatrist, a podiatrist (to help with gait and footwear), physiotherapist, osteopath, and radiologist. To achieve maximum benefit and the best results its best to get a team approach to treatment.
 

Does treatment for sports injuries differ between amateur and professional athletes?

Overall the treatment can often be the same, for instance, someone with a dislocation of the shoulder will have similar treatment. The goals of a professional athlete and their resources, however, are different. They often need to get back to sports as quickly as possible, as such, the rehabilitation is often more intense and the recovery is often quicker.

More expensive rehabilitation modalities are available to the professional compared to the amateur, depending on what a club can pay for. Often there are more physio sessions and more medical staff who can help and give more of a multidisciplinary approach to care.


You can book an appointment with Mr Sivardeen here via his Top Doctor’s profile if you would like his expert opinion in your case.

By Mr Ziali Sivardeen
Orthopaedic surgery

 
Ziali Sivardeen is an orthopaedic surgeon who has been honoured to see many patients including elite level athletes, world cup winners, celebrities, and the royal family during his career.
 
During the London 2012 Olympics, Mr Sivardeen worked at the Olympic Athlete’s Village and had the honour of being selected as the surgeon who operated on all olympians and paralympians that required shoulder or elbow surgery during the games. Due to his role, Mr Sivardeen was invited to a special reception in Buckingham Palace.
 
He has seen and helped manage many athletes with knee problems, including those linked to Premiership football clubs, and has treated many sports people with ACL injuries, cartilage and meniscal tears.
 
Mr Sivardeen has held important positions training other surgeons, representing the prestigious Royal Colleges of Surgeons, first as a tutor from 2010-2014, before being appointed as one of two Regional Surgical Advisors for London. In 2015, he organised the pan London Sports and Exercise Medicine teaching programme, and now is an examiner for the Prestigious Intercollegiate Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS exams).   He has been a member of the Specialist Training Committee for Sports and Exercise Medicine Trainees in London from 2009 to 2015, so played an important part helping to develop this new speciality.
 
On the NHS, he worked as the surgical lead or joint service lead of the Sports Injury Service at Homerton University Hospital from 2009 to 2015.
 
His research interests include orthopaedic shoulder and knee problems, including sports injuries in elite rugby players. He had in excess of 70 presentations accepted at prestigious national and international meetings by 2012.  At the main World Shoulder and Elbow Meeting (ISCES) in 2010 his research was the only piece from the UK that was short-listed for the best prize and he was invited to give an educational talk to other surgeons from around world at the next World Shoulder and Elbow Meeting (ISCES) held in Japan in 2013.
 
He is one of the few consultant orthopaedic surgeons in the UK trained by 3 Presidents of National Orthopaedic Societies at Fellowship Level and has a passion for teaching and training.  He has run many London Sports Injury Symposia and has been invited around the world to deliver lectures, and master classes teaching other surgeons, consultants and practitioners.

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