Mr Sean Symons

I was appointed as a Consultant Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgeon in 2008 and I am currently the Clinical Director for Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust one of the largest Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery Departments in England.  I trained at The Royal London Medical School and qualified as a doctor in 1994. I became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1999. I trained as a Trauma and Orthopaedic surgeon in North West Thames and became a Consultant at Basildon Hospital in October 2008. I lead in the transformation of the Trauma & Orthopaedic service in Mid & South Essex and this involves very close collaboration with the new clinical networks that are being developed within the East of England region. I was also instrumental in our service obtain National Accreditation for the Elective Orthopaedic Surgery Centre at Braintree Community Hospital. This is where we undertake most of our adult elective orthopaedic surgery using the latest surgical techniques and equipment. We are also developing new patient pathways that are designed to improve patient outcome, patient satisfaction, reduce the patients length of stay and maximise the efficiency of the service to get the best value for money without any compromise in quality of the service. I was recently a member of the BASK/BSCOS Steering Committee for the report on the Management of Paediatric Soft Tissue Knee Pathology and the Chair of the Mid & South Essex ICS Musculoskeletal System Delivery Steering Group.

I am an orthopaedic surgeon with extensive experience in both NHS and private practice settings, specializing in soft tissue knee surgery for adults and children. My expertise lies in diagnosing and treating a wide range of knee-related conditions due to sports injuries, other types of trauma, painful arthritis and specific knee conditions that occur only in children. My expertise encompasses various procedures, with a particular focus on anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions, along with other ligament reconstructions and repairs around the knee. I often incorporate degradable artificial ligaments into these procedures for optimal outcomes. I have a special interest in managing patients with very significant multiligament injuries to the knee and I undertake this with a specialist team in the region. Additionally, I specialise in patella stabilisation, tendon repairs and reconstructions following trauma and have extensive experience in meniscus preservation surgery. Looking ahead, I am considering expanding into meniscus transplant surgery. Furthermore, I have a special interest in articular cartilage regeneration surgery utilizing the patients own stem cells, aiming to enhance patients' long-term joint health and function. These procedures are suitable for both children and young adults up to the age of around 50 and are typically undertaken to address isolated defects in the knee joint causing pain and functional limitations. The surgery involves aspirating stem cells from the patient's pelvic bone marrow and processing them to create a concentrated solution. This solution is then combined with a 3-D implant called HYALOFAST, promoting the conversion of stem cells into articular cartilage over several months. Finally I do knee replacement surgery in adults who have painful arthritis that is causing them deteriorating function and a poor quality of life. I have a commitment to providing personalized care tailored to each patient's needs.