Chennai: Sivam Ortho and Speciality Hospital in the city recently performed a successful hip replacement surgery for a polio-affected septuagenarian.
A press release here said, Shanmugam (78), a resident of Nanganallur, was brought to Sivam hospital, with complaints of pain in the left hip and difficulty in walking for the past seven months.
After initial check-up, it was found that the patient had injured his left hip after a fall in March this year. An X-ray taken in May 2020 showed fracture in the neck of femur.
Since the doctors at his native Tenkasi advised against surgery fearing contracting Covid-19, Shanmigam was brought here.
After consultation with Dr V Sivakumar, chief orthopaedic surgeon, it was found that he was suffering from Post Polio residual paralysis in his left lower limb since childhood. He was walking with a limp ever since he remembered. It was hence decided to perform a hip replacement surgery.
“This procedure is challenging in patients suffering from polio. The small size of the femur and increased anteversion of the neck pose difficulties. The curvature of the shaft of the femur will differ from the normal side. Femoral head is usually smaller and the acetabulam is shallow. The gluteal muscles are weaker than the normal side and are usually atrophic. Hence the chances of dislocation are high in the immediate and the late post operative period. Hence with adequate precautions, hip replacement was carried out successfully. The patient is walking normally as before without any dislocation,” the release said.