Bilateral hip replacement performed in Kovai

Coimbatore: A 12-year-old girl, who was suffering from arthritis due to a congenital disorder that affected multiple joints and made her a cripple, bound to a wheelchair and unable to walk or attend school, is now back on her legs after a successful bilateral hip replacement surgery performed at a city hospital.

Abhirani from Tiruppur, studying in class six, underwent the three-hour surgery in January and is now able to walk. This is the youngest bilateral hip replacement done in India, claimed Rex Ortho Hospital chief surgeon and director Dr Rex during a press conference.

Her condition was disagonsed as spondyloepiphyseal displasia, causing gross disturbance in growth and joints were swollen with gross restriction of range of movements.

She developed fixed deformity of the leg with severe pain at night. All conservative treatment like medication, physiotheraphy and joint injections were not successful.

The challenge faced by us was ordering a special miniature hip replacement implant to suit her size which was imported and also measures to minimise the blood loss during the procedure. The implant was successfully fixed without compromising further growth.

Quick and accurate hip replacement with scan control for precision was necessary in this case, said Dr Rex.