A complete hip replacement has given the woman a fresh start at life as she is now able to walk again
A 32-year-old female patient was operated on to treat a severe case of Ankylosing Spondylitis that had left her with severe spine and hip deformities. A complete hip replacement carried out by doctors at BGS Gleneagles Global Hospital has given the young woman a fresh start at life as she is now able to walk again.
She couldn’t sleep or lay down flat on her back because of her bent hips and spinal deformities. At the time, she could not walk beyond 100 metres.
In 2016, she approached doctors at BGS Gleneagles Global Hospital, who reviewed her condition and recommended a total hip replacement as it could potentially give her a good range of movements in the hip. The main challenge in this case was to place a hip where there was no hip joint cavity.
Dr Basavraj CM, HOD and Senior Joint Replacement Surgeon, BGS Gleneagles Global Hospital, said, “A successful joint replacement surgery is a game changer particularly in disabled patients with stiff joints affected with Ankylosing Spondylitis. Nowadays, we have powerful treatments like biologics (Anti-TNF) medication, which can prevent joint destruction in the initial stages, when disease process is just beginning. It is very important to seek early help, so that the natural joints can be preserved.”
In this case, the operation itself took three hours. The recovery took a longer time, because the patient had not used any of her muscles of the hips and legs for over 10 years. After the surgery was successfully completed, she was made to walk within three days post-op. She required extensive physiotherapy to strengthen the muscles that had wasted over the years. This was carried out over 10 months, until she was able to walk without any aids. Presently, she is able to walk three kilometres in a day. She walks to her workplace, which is 1.5 km away and back home at the end of the day. This is a vast improvement considering she was not able to walk more than 100 metres just a few years ago.