Homemaker undergoes rare knee surgery in city hospital, recovers

Following a thorough check up at a city hospital, she then underwent a Unicondylar Knee Arthroplasty (UKA) at a city hospital and was able to walk back home from the hospital within three days.

Stating that the patient was diagnosed with a problem of degeneration in the knee which was affecting only the inner-medial part of her knee joint, Dr M K Vetri Kumar, Consultant Surgeon, Parvathy Hospital, where she underwent the treatment, said, “She was suggested to undergo a procedure where the affected portion of the knee will be replaced and not the total knee. We also assured her that she could be discharged on the second post-operation day itself.”

After a complete diagnosis, the patient was prescribed medication and physiotherapy to alleviate the pain and increase her mobility. “She felt better but following additional examinations, the doctors had to prescribe a Bilateral Unicondlyar knee Arthoplasty for a complete cure. She underwent this procedure first on her right knee followed by the left knee,” added the doctor.

Explaining the procedure, Dr S Muthukumar, Chief Orthopaedic Surgeon at the hospital, said, “This minimally invasive surgery replaces the Total Knee Replacement with reducing postoperative discomfort, speeds up discharge and feel of natural knee joints. This treatment is suitable for people who experience arthritis only in one compartment (section) of the knee joint, rather than throughout the joint. It can also provide relief from pain and stiffness in some people who have medical conditions that make them poor candidates for total knee replacement surgery (condylar arthroplasty).”

It may be noted that available data implies that 60 per cent of the degenerated knees will not require total knee replacement even after failed conservative treatment. “The surgical procedure, implant characteristics and technical innovations have to be evaluated considering the patient’s expectations, health economics considerations and measurements of quality-adjusted life years,” said Dr Kumar.

Expressing her pain over the course of the struggle, Devaki said, “I cannot explain that difficulty in words. I suffered with immense pain in both knees and I was not able to stand on my own. I was unsure of what the problem really was. After diagnosis, the doctors at Parvathy Hospital helped me by giving me a clear picture about the condition and treatment that was required for it. I was very hopeful. Following the surgery, I recovered really quickly and I am now able to stand, walk and even trek a hill.” 

She walked back home from hospital within three days of her surgery. While the total knee replacement would have taken longer for her to walk, the extremely effective partial knee replacement surgery that was eventually done helped her recover quickly with reduced post-surgery pain.