About

Dr Christelle van der Watt MBChB (Pret) FC Orth (SA )



Dr Christelle van der Watt

As founder of The Shoulder Practice I'm thrilled to be able to bring a wealth of knowledge and experience, both local and international, to my specialty - shoulder surgery and the treatment of shoulder problems.

My aim for this website is to share some of that insight, eventually building this site into a valuable online resource on a subject that's both a vocation and a passion for me.

I studied medicine at the University of Pretoria and graduated in 2000.

After working in orthopaedic surgery in the United Kingdom for two years I returned to South Africa to specialise in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Stellenbosch where I qualified in 2012.

I hold a degree, FC (ortho) SA from the College of Orthopaedic Surgeons of South Africa.

After graduating, I focussed my attention (or 'super specialised' to use the professional term) on shoulder surgery doing a fellowship at the Cape Shoulder institute in 2013 under the guidance of Dr Joe de Beer.

I followed this with a stint in private practice, also at the Cape Shoulder Institute. While there I treated a range of shoulder conditions using both non-surgical (conservative) therapies as well as advanced surgical techniques that included arthroscopic shoulder surgery and open shoulder surgery, including instability procedures and joint replacements.

I'm a firm believer in lifelong learning and travelled twice to France to visit internationally acclaimed shoulder surgeon, Dr Gilles Walch, operating with him and spending time at his highly-regarded shoulder unit.

I regularly make time in my schedule to attend international shoulder congresses to further educate myself and stay in touch with the latest trends in this rapidly-evolving field.

I love to share my knowledge with colleagues from South Africa and abroad, firmly believing this practice benefits the profession and patients.

To this end I assisted Dr De Beer in hosting a well-received ultrasound workshop at the international shoulder congress in Nice in 2014.

I was also involved in the training of international orthopaedic surgeons rotating at the Cape Shoulder Institute.

I am a member of the Health Professionals council of South Africa as well as the South African Shoulder and Elbow Society.

Now, through The Shoulder Practice and this website, I'm privileged to offer my insight and expertise to a whole new spectrum of people with shoulder complaints and injures.

My practice is based in Cape Town, South Africa, conveniently located for patients in the wider Cape Town area. I also welcome patients from further afield in South Africa and abroad.

If you have any questions or you'd like to book a consultation, please don't hesitate to contact me. I'm here to help.