Man walks first time in months after hip replacement surgery

NEW DELHI: This January 26 will always remain special for Sunil Kumar. While the country celebrated its 72nd Republic Day, the 34-year-old south-west Delhi resident got a new lease of life this day, thanks to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.   

Till last week, Kumar, diagnosed with the severe grade of Ankylosing Spondylitis — a condition in which all central joints of the body become one block if left untreated, was completely bedridden for the past six months with intense pain in both hip and leg areas. He had been eating and drinking all lying down and was unable to perform daily basic needs. On January 25 and 26, Kumar underwent successful hip replacement surgeries at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

The hospital said Kumar’s spine from neck to pelvis was completely fused and even he wasn’t able to bend his neck. His both hip joints were fused, thus rendering the patient as a complete ‘block of bone’.  
Both the hip joint replacement surgeries were conducted so that he could bend the lower limbs bend and he could be made to sit and walk.

“Uncemented ceramic total hip replacement was done which took almost six hours. Hips were made fully mobile in all directions by cutting the bones & releasing all the contracted soft tissues. This was a challenging surgery as due to disease, pelvis and femur had become one bone and it was very difficult to demarcate the hip position. After opening the area, we cut the femur from the pelvis free.

Under C-arm (portable X-ray) we put a pin where the hip joint might have been and started making the space for the socket of the hip. After putting in a new socket we replaced the femur head with a new ceramic head. The new hip was reduced and the area was closed. The patient got a full range of motion immediately after the surgery,” said Dr Anant Kumar Tiwari, senior consultant, joint replacement surgery at the hospital. “Unfortunately, Ankylosing Spondylitis is commonly seen among young population,” he added.