Age is just a number: 103-year-old undergoes hip replacement surgery

RS Srinivasan had severe pain and was unable to walk when he was brought to the hospital on July 13 after he tripped and fell in his Adyar residence. “He was brought to Kauvery Hospital with a fracture to his left hip joint. Following an evaluation by a team, including orthogeriatric doctors, he was prescribed a partial hip replacement surgery,” said Dr M Lakshmi Naathan, the ortho surgeon who led the procedure.

Even though they faced many challenges, including his age, loss of consciousness (as he had faced a blow to his head as well), low heart function and blood levels, besides the poor bone quality, the doctors performed the partial hip replacement surgery using a titanium implant. 

Having worked as an assistant station supervisor for the Southern Railways and volunteered as an instructor for the bomb disposal squad during the Second World War, the centenarian has always been very independent. “From making the morning tea, to taking care of the house, my father does everything on his own. This fall was very unfortunate. However, he has always been very strong otherwise,” said his son S Varadaraja.

Assuring the doctors that he will certainly live a few years longer, RS Srinivasan said, “The secret to my long life is raja yoga pranayama, which I learnt from a sage in the Himalayas. If we breathe in and out 50 times each, every minute, it will help us live longer.”