27 August 2010
Bangalore, India
59–Year–Old Was On Her Feet The Very Next Day
Fifty–nine–year–old Nagamma from Koratagere in Tumkur lived through 10 surgeries undertaken one after the other over seven hours by three surgeons of Manipal Hospital. The surgeries were conducted on August 11.
Nagamma was bedridden for one year. After undergoing four major joint replacements and six major surgeries, she is now able to walk.
Dr R D Chakravarthy, HoD, orthopaedic department, Manipal Hospital, said it will take another month for her to walk without any help. The total blood loss was just 800ml during the surgery and two units of Whole Blood made up for this loss.
Chakravarthy said Nagamma started walking on the second day after the operation with the help of a walker, and she responded well.
Speaking to reporters, Nagamma said: "We belong to the farming community. I have been suffering from pain for the last 15 years and was bedridden for over a year. For eight years, I moved about using a walking stick and for two years my children had to carry me. After this surgery, I am feeling much better."
The total surgery has costed Rs 6 lakh, and BEL has promised to fund it.
Dr Prashanth R, associate consultant at Manipal Hospital, explained that Nagamma had been suffering from pain in both her hips for the last 15 years. She had pain and swelling in her right knee since eight years, pain and swelling in her left knee since two years and was unable to walk or sit since the last six months. Besides, she was suffering from rheumatoid arthritis since two years.
Prashanth said Nagamma was placed flat on her back and adductor tenotomies (release of adductor muscles from hip) were carried out on both hips to correct the hip adduction deformities.
Later, she was turned over to prone position (on her stomach) and two hamstring release procedures were done on both knees from and lateral sides to correct the knee flexion deformities. Later, a total hip replacement was done on her left hip, right hip and total replacement surgeries were done on both knees.
"Ten operations of such magnitude will normally take 12–14 hours, but it was completed in just seven hours. She did not require post–operative ICU care and was directly sent into the ward," said Dr Prashanth.
The 10 surgeries were conducted in one schedule because patients generally will expect reduced costs. "It is easy to rehabilitate as all the deformities were corrected. There is no risk of multiple anaesthesia as well," the doctor added.
Corrective Measures:
Adductor tenotomies carried out on both hips, two hamstring release procedures on each knee, total hip replacement on left and right hips, and total replacement surgeries performed on both knees
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