Youth walks again after bilateral hip replacement surgery

After being bed-ridden for two years due to severe hip deformity, 22-year-old  Rohit Patil, from Nalasopara resident in Mumbai, thought he would never walk again.

However, a successful bilateral total hip replacement surgery last week by Dr Pradeep Bhosale at Nanavati Hospital has worked a miracle in this youngster's life. Bhosale, who is Director, Arthritis and Joint Replacement Surgery at the Vile Parle hospital told PTI that Rohit was suffering from an inflammatory arthritic condition called 'Ankylosing Spondylitis' which falls in the similar group of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

"He had been suffering from past 10 years but was bed-ridden only since two years. Both his hips were fixed in 60 degree bent position with bony fusion having zero movement. This condition is very common in India and affects young males," Bhosale said. It leads to complete bony closure of spine and hips in variable deformed condition leading to severe disability to ambulate, he said.

"When the hip is mobile, the surgery is easier. In this case, the bone had to be cut first because the anatomy was not clearcut," Bhosale added. "I operated this challenging case on June 23 and did bilateral total hip replacement in a single stage with release of all tight structures. His hips have now become straight and mobile without any deformity. Rohit has started walking straight with full weight bearing," Bhosale said.

This is an exclusive case of single stage surgery coupled with recovery and immediate ability to walk, he claimed.

Rohit, whose father works as a peon with Sate Bank of India, had to drop out while studying first year commerce owing to unbearable pain due to this condition, is now elated. "After nearly a decade, the experience of standing straight and walking is unbelievable. In 2002, while in school, I fell down and got a swelling in the ankle and was unable to walk. I literally lived on pain-killers and had an ankle operation done too. But the pain extended to hips and shoulders. I had no strength to walk," he told PTI.

Bhosale, has so far done 156 fused hip conversions (to total hip replacements) in the last 30 years.