Personal Profile
Surgical experience includes:
- British Ski and Snow Sports
- Olympic and Commonwealth athletes
- SRU National and Professional Club Rugby
- Professional Football including Rangers, Celtic, Aberdeen and other Premiership Clubs
- Honorary Consultant Ryder Cup
- Honorary Consultant Commonwealth Games
- Scottish Institute of Sport
- SFA Medical Advisory Committee
As well as professional sports-people, Professor Mackay also treats patients who wish for an accelerated recovery simply to return to work, daily activities or exercise. Patients travel from all over the UK and overseas. The same cutting-edge technologies are applied to all, regardless of age or level of activity.
He is well known worldwide as a pioneer of ACL repair and continues to be involved in global research into ligament repair which respects natural tissues and biology and allows for early mobilisation and faster recovery. His repair technique minimises the risk of osteo-arthritis, which is a well-recognized problem with traditional reconstructions.
His combined interest in sports and medicine led to his invention and development of the InternalBrace technique which allows for natural healing with less trauma to the joint. Internal Bracing is applicable to all repairs and reconstructions acute or chronic, simple or complex. He takes great delight in the fact that a Scottish innovation is now being used in NBA, NFL, Baseball and by the surgeon for the Brazilian Football Team.
Professor Mackay also developed the Knotless System for achilles repair technique which has halved recovery time and now avoids the need for plaster immobilisation. Biologics, including the proper use of researched stem cell treatments, are also increasingly part of his practice.
Professor Mackay is a graduate of both St Andrews and Glasgow universities, he took a short career break as a professional footballer with Glasgow Rangers Reserves before returning to medicine. He won a scholarship to study sports medicine at the London Hospital Medical College London before undertaking fellowship training internationally. His post graduate MD research focused on the Mechanism and Prevention of injury in sport, in particular this work changed Scottish football practices, resulting in a reduction in the incidence of overuse injuries.
His hobbies include painting and turning out onto the football field to play for Scotland’s over-50s eleven-a-side team. With grown-up children, he and his wife Jackie enjoy staying active and exploring Scotland.
Please note, Professor Mackay does not perform knee replacement surgery. Please also note Professor Mackay does not see AXA, Simply Health or Health Online patients.
